Great Himalayan Bird Count 2009

Editor — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:54:48 +0000

Sixteen groups, consisting of approximately nine birders per group, will take on a variety of hiking trails from the 7th to the 10th of November 2009, in search of as many bird species as they can find, to identify and record them. Some of the trails include the Jhilmil Jheel Conservation Reserve, Ganga Mandakini and Yamuna. This magnificent initiative and bird watching opportunity is supported by the Forest Department of Uttarakhand. Bird lovers eager to participate should inquire about the Great Himalayan Bird Count, as places are limited.

For more information, contact Prateek Panwar on 941 205 4216 or email arch.birdcountr@yahoo.in

Date: 7 – 10 November 2009
Venue: Various
City: Dehradun
Country: India

Shifting Migrations Might Indicate Global Warming

Editor — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 11:30:35 +0000

Each year thousands of citizens in the US get involved with the annual Christmas bird count. They are not professional birders, but their counts do help biologists and other researchers to get a better idea of the grand scale of things. Over time this count has revealed that almost 60 percent of migratory birds are spending their winters further north than they did forty years ago.

According to studies, the American Robin and White-throated Sparrow are just two of the 305 bird species examined which showed a dramatic northward shift in their annual migratory patterns. While this does not prove global warming in itself, it is consistent with the sort of behavior you’d expect to take place in direct reaction to a steadily warming climate. The concern is not so much for the birds themselves, but for other non-migratory bird species and animals that are left behind to suffer through the heat. Kenn Kaufman, field editor for Audubon Magazine, stressed the interdependence of everything in an ecosystem when he said about the trend: “Everything is connected. Birds are not isolated; it’s an ecosystem. It’s a system and something that happens in one area is going to affect everything else.”

While bird ranges can change for a number of different reasons, such as urban sprawl, supplemented diets and deforestation, researchers have noted that the most likely explanation for why so many different migratory birds over such a broad area are choosing to winter further north is most likely global warming. The shift is not just affecting one or two species from one or two areas – its affecting a large number of species from a large number of areas. The phenomenon is simply too widespread to be attributed entirely to only one localized cause.

So where does the report released by the National Audubon Society leave bird lovers? It refreshes in our minds the need to not contribute to the many factors causing global warming. Not only can we change our own lifestyles and encourage others to do likewise, but if we live in an area where there are non-migratory birds, we can try to be aware of their needs, providing them with food, water and shelter so that they can survive the conditions as best as possible.

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Great Himalayan Bird Count 2009

Shifting Migrations Might Indicate Global Warming