Birdwatchers to track 18 species in Mumbai

Even though March 20 is known as World Sparrow Day, the Nature Forever Society along with Jaypee group, decided to launch a rather egalitarian initiative: to monitor all common birds in India.

The Common Bird Monitoring Programme, which was launched with much fanfare at the Maharashtra Nature Park in Dharavi, will track 18 species of birds all around the country.

The common house sparrow is of course one of the birds that will be monitored through this programme, other birds like the house crow, the nemesis of freshly washed cars, the Rock Pigeon and much lesser known birds such as the rose-ringed parakeet, the hoopoe and the ashy prinia.

“The difference between common and uncommon is not just a matter of two alphabets. It is a matter of concern. Birds that are common today may soon become rare if we
don’t take care. That begins with watching out for these birds,” says Mohammed DIlawar, president of Nature Forever Society.