Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Bird Atlas (HBA), a large-scale citizen science project aimed at documenting bird diversity across Hyderabad, has completed two seasonal bird surveys in 2025, one in February during winter and another in July during the monsoon. The initiative, which will continue for two more years, is helping build crucial data on bird populations, their seasonal movements, and habitat preferences across urban and peri-urban areas.In the first season, conducted in February this year, 209 volunteers participated and surveyed 180 different locations across the city. This winter period is known for a mix of resident and migratory birds, and the survey recorded 195 species and 70,187 individual birds. The high count reflects the presence of winter migrants that use the city’s wetlands, forests, grasslands, and green spaces as resting and feeding grounds. The second took place in July 2025 during the monsoon, which is a key breeding time for many resident birds. Volunteer participation increased to 225 people, and the team documented 166 bird species and counted 62,811 individual birds. Although the number of species was slightly lower in monsoon due to absence of migrants, this round provided valuable observations on breeding behaviour, nesting patterns, and habitat use of local birds. Together, both seasons in 2025 recorded over 136,000 birds and 218 species, creating a strong base for long-term analysis of Hyderabad’s bird life. Several species that were not observed in the winter season were reported during the monsoon, including the Watercock, Alpine Swift, Brown Crake, Painted Spurfowl, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Brahminy Kite, Pied Cuckoo, Rain Quail, Oriental Skylark, and Black-breasted Weaver, among others. These sightings highlight the impact of seasonal changes on bird presence and behaviour, especially among water-associated and breeding species. The most widely reported birds in Season 2 were Ashy Prinia, Red-vented Bulbul, Spotted Dove, Rock Pigeon, and Asian Koel. In terms of population, the Rock Pigeon, Red-vented Bulbul, Baya Weaver, Ashy Prinia, Spotted Dove, Eastern Cattle Egret, Scaly-breasted Munia, Asian Palm Swift, and House Crow were among the top species recorded. Speaking with Deccan Chronicle, birdwatcher and Hyderabad Birding Pals (HBP) administrator Kishore Bakshi said “The second round of the survey went more smoothly compared to last year, as many participants were already familiar with the process.” He added that the weather also cooperated, with no major rains during the survey weekends. He noted that the final data is still being reviewed, and the numbers might slightly change after removing any incorrect entries or duplicate sightings. He also mentioned that WWF India and Deccan Birders (DB) are now involved in the analysis and comparative studies, and while many volunteers joined, only a few have consistently stayed with the project.
Source link
