Winter Bird Monitoring Program (2014-15)

Highlights

• Bird census conducted over four months: 1st Nov 2014 to 28th Feb 2015 (120 days)

• Totally, 125 locations were monitored, generating 188 checklists.

• Recorded 247 unique species and counted 70,793 birds. List doesn’t contain 6 Species that were found in October 2014; including them total is 253 species. Which accounts to 70 % of Mysore region (357 species), 46% of Karnataka bird (545 species) and 20% of Indian birds (1300 species) .

• Among these 75 are long distance winter migrants, 8 are passage migrants (small distance migrants) and 164 are residents.

• Rich count (total number of birds) was recorded (descending order) in Krishnaraja Sagar-10865, Kukkarahlli-3768, Agara-Mamballi area -3029, Dadadalli-Indraprastha area-2512, Rayanakere-2395, Kenchana kere-2246, Lingambudhi-2132, Kallur-1949, Hadinaru-1663, and Ravandur-1603

• Species richness was recorded (descending order) in Yennehole valley-132, Rayanakere-126, Krishnaraja Sagar-126, Narasambudhi-122, Ravandur-113, Kallur-113, Kenchanakere-94, Kalale-93, Markalu-90, Lingambudhi-87.

• Long distant migratory Birds recorded for the first time are : Tytler's Leaf-Warbler by AAPC & Srilatha, Bristled Grassbird by VLR, MS & SB.

• Passage migrant from nearby western & eastern Ghats for the first time: Greater Racket-tailed Drongo by VLR, MS & SB

• Rare long distant migratory birds like Wryneck, Graylag Goose, Ruddy Shelduck, Greater Short-toed Lark, Brown-breasted Flycatcher, Taiga Flycatcher, Red-throated Flycatcher have been recorded.

• Compilation hard work by BRS in addition to field work with his team and family, CSK to 37 locations, DHT and team - 14, AAPC -14, VLR – 29, MS -23, ASP & TG 77 locations.

Participants: (34 members)

• • New to census activity- Abhishek MB, Aravind HR, Chandu SG, Harsh NR, Kiran Bagade, Lakshmi Dinesh, Madhura, Nagendra sudhakar, Naveen J, Praful Gopal, Ramachandra Urs HS, Sahamatha Bolwar, Swetha Bharathi, Syed Muzamil.

  • Regulars- Abhijith.A.P.C, Bharat .TT, Bharat. R.K, Deepesh Misra, Dinesh.K .V, Girija.T, Michaelsen T, Mohan Kemparaj, Prashanth, Sahana.M, Satishkumar Nagaraj, Shamakumari.C.S, Shanmukhasundaram, Sheshgiri.B.R, Shivaprakash.A, Srilatha, Sumanas KS, Tanuja.D.H, Tushar, Veerabhadra Swamy, Vijayalakshmi Rao.

INVITATION

Winter is fast approaching. So as migratory birds which have started flocking Maisuru region (Maisuru, Mandya and Chamarajanagar Districts). Remember the bird monitoring program carried out in the region last winter? This year also it is planned to conduct bird monitoring at 168 listed locations simultaneously. It is estimated that, to carry out this exercise, at least 35 teams are required. This list does not include regular places like Chamundi, Malleswara Gudda, etc. If these places are included, the number of locations will cross over 200+. The area we are monitoring is grayish in color in the map below.

Last season (2013-14), Winter Bird Monitoring Program was conducted to verify the current status of the species recorded till that date. Program was conducted during the two months period [Dec 2013 - Jan 2014]. Sixty Bird watchers participated in the program, travelled to different sectors and recorded 228 species.

This time, it is proposed to collect the data over four months in all the routes planned, from first week of November 2014 till the end of February 2015. This is in addition to reserving a week or two for Mysore City Bird Atlas. If planned properly, a single team can cover all the routes; and all the locations can be covered by different teams at different time.

I. How to go ahead with bird monitoring?

• A single team must have at least two members. There is no upper limit. The team can choose any of the routes and locations provided, observe the bird activity and record. This team can cover as many as routes as possible till January end.

• Minimum birding period is half an hour in one location.

• Intimate in advance the route planned, so that other interested birders can join the team or other team can take a different route. The intention is, each team shall cover maximum routes and avoid repetitions.

• 11^th January 2015, Sunday - like last season, number of teams will take different routes to ‘record’ maximum number of bird species in a single day. Last year, an experimental survey on a single day, 12/01/2014 with 11 teams recorded 134 species, almost 10% of the species found in whole India ( Total species in India -1301)

• Please enter the data in “e-bird” website in your name as soon as you are back from day long birding trip. Give us the link or the data filled form for data compilation.

• Share your interest with your friends, especially students from life science and introduce them to field study.

II. Locations and Route details: