Mumbai's birders are dusting off their binoculars and brushing up on the differences between an Egret and a Crane.
MUMBAI: Mumbai's birders are dusting off their binoculars and brushing up on the differences between an Egret and a Crane. The Mumbai Bird Race, an annual attraction for birders, and amateur bird watchers in the city will be held on February 17. Teams from Pune, Alibaug, Dombivli, Kalyan and Thane are expected to participate in the event.
The teams participating in the race will spend a day birding in and around the Mumbai metropolitan area. They will try to record as many species as possible and learn about the finer points of bird watching from experts.
Naturalist Sunjoy Monga, who is the organiser of the race said the bird race will be held between Kelwe and Mahim beaches in the north; Alibaug in the south; the Matheran range in the east; and as far as one can go into the sea off the coast of Mumbai to the west. "It's the maximum area one can comfortably travel within a couple of hours by road, ferry or train from Mumbai, and still reach the venue, which is Maharashtra nature park, by 6pm," said Monga.
The bird race is all about teamwork, patience, and being with birds and nature from dawn to dusk. "Participation by children and beginners in the event is encouraged in order to create awareness about avifauna in and around the city," said Monga.
The first Mumbai Bird Race was held on February 27, 2005, where close to one hundred birding enthusiasts came together. "Looking at the response, it was decided to make it an annual event," said Monga.
During the first bird race held in the city, 288 species of birds were spotted. While in 2006, the participants spotted 277 species in just 12 hours. And in the year 2007, a total of 250 species were spotted.
There is a fun element to this exercise, which has helped stimulate enormous interest in bird-watching as a popular hobby. At the end of the race, the teams get an opportunity to interact with one another and recount the day's experiences.
a_ashwin@dnaindia.net
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