Among states, Kerala records most checklists, West Bengal reports most species
Grey-headed Swamphen. Photo: Parthasarathi Chakrabarti / Bird Count India India has submitted over 1,000 species in a global citizen science initiative to document bird diversity — the second highest number of submissions in the world. Birding enthusiasts from all over the country documented 1,036 species for the Global Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) 2024.
The backyard bird count happens every year, usually over a four-day period in February. It allows participants to tally birds in diverse locations, ranging from their own backyards to local parks and nature reserves. This year, it took place from February 16-19, 2024, according to a press release from Bird Count India, a coalition of birding organisations and groups.
Read more: National Birds Day 2024: Over a million birds belonging to 184 species visit Odisha’s Chilika lake
Indian bird enthusiasts celebrated their 12th consecutive year of participation in the GBBC this time.
India submitted the second-highest number of checklists and the third-highest species among all participating countries. Over the four days, Indian birdwatchers contributed over 61,000 checklists and documented 1,036 bird species on an online platform eBird.
The United States submitted the most number of checklists — 172,025 — showed preliminary results from the count. Following India, Canada had the third highest number of checklists at 25,420. Colombia (1,363) and Equador (1,130) submitted the most species.
Read more: The day of the birdwatchers
This is the first GBBC where birders from all states and Union territories participated. Kerala recorded the highest number of checklists (14,023), followed by Tamil Nadu (13,661) and Maharashtra (5,725). West Bengal reported the highest number of species (538), followed by Uttarakhand (426) and Assam (420).
Some restricted-range species spotted by Indian birders this year are: Andaman Serpent-Eagle, Andaman Woodpecker, Nilgiri Laughingthrush, White-headed Starling, Nilgiri Sholakili, White-bellied Blue Flycatcher, Andaman Treepie, Forest Owlet, Bugun Liocichla, White-bellied Sholakili.
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