Summer survey for Delhi Bird Atlas adds 21 species

Hindustan Times

18 hours ago

The summer survey of the Delhi Bird Atlas concluded on Sunday with more than 160 species recorded across seven clusters and 145 one-sqkm subcells, officials from Delhi's forest and wildlife department said. At least 21 of these species were new ones not recorded in the winter survey, held between January 1 and the first week of February in which 200 species were recorded. Grey night herons spotted at Yamuna Biodiversity Park in 2019. (HT Archive)
A preliminary report on the findings of both surveys will be released in October during Wildlife Week, the forest department said on Sunday. The Delhi Bird Atlas will be a detailed book on the Capital's bird diversity in terms of species and distribution and is planned to be released towards the end of next year after two more surveys.
'If we combine the data from both surveys, 221 species have been recorded, which is a healthy number for Delhi, considering we also covered grids that had urban spaces,' said Pankaj Gupta, regional coordinator for Bird Count India, adding that the data will help policymakers make relevant decision for developments while considering urban habitats.
The summer survey was flagged off by the forest department on April 27, and more than 200 volunteers and 50 teams combed through Delhi's diverse landscapes from parks and wetlands to scrublands, residential neighbourhoods and even concretised urban and commercial spaces. At least 600 checklists were shared by birders and volunteers during this period. Overall, 21 additional species were recorded this time which were not spotted in the winter survey, officials said. These included Bonelli's eagle, Indian bush lark, Indian Golden-oriole and the greater flamingo.
'We also spotted an oriental turtle dove, which is generally seen in the winter months. We did not spot it in the winter survey, but instead saw it in the summer survey, which was a little unusual,' Gupta added.
The Atlas is being prepared by Delhi's forest and wildlife department, in collaboration with birders from Bird Count India, Delhi Bird Foundation and organisations including WWF-India, Wildlife SOS, Asian Adventures and the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL).
Forest officials said they will require at least two more surveys — another winter and summer count, to prepare the Atlas. 'We will also map out the sightings and spread of birds in Delhi. This will also show birding hot spots,' an official said.
Shyam Sunder Kandpal, Delhi's chief wildlife warden, said the preliminary report will highlight key findings of this year's winter and summer surveys. 'It will not stop here, and we plan to organise more bird walks to train more volunteers for the next season,' he said, adding that the data will also contribute towards the annual 'State of the Birds' report.
Birders said that the data collection marks a crucial step in building a robust, long-term understanding of Delhi's avian biodiversity.
'While we missed a few expected species such as the woolly-necked stork and river tern, we gathered valuable data from some of the city's most overlooked spaces such as slums, drains, and garbage dumps, reminding us that even common birds tell important stories,' said Akash Gulalia, senior birder and professor at Delhi University.
Birders said these surveys also showed that several lesser-known or previously overlooked green spaces outside the city's protected areas also support vibrant birdlife.
'This was far from regular birding—conducted in peak summer across drains, informal settlements, and lesser-known urban pockets. It was physically demanding in Delhi's heat but offered a meaningful opportunity to contribute to structured citizen science and support long-term urban biodiversity monitoring,' said Kaushani Banerjee, a Delhi Bird Atlas volunteer.