Birders and Birders’ Meet 2024
Birders and nature lovers of diverse feathers flocked to Kolkata to celebrate the first-ever Bengal Birders’ Meet on 22nd July 2024.
Birders and nature lovers of diverse feathers flocked to Kolkata to celebrate the first-ever Bengal Birders’ Meet on 22nd July 2024. Although the cloudy Monday morning cast a gloomy shadow over the city, it could not deter the arrival of birders from various parts of the state. All flyways converged at the main auditorium of the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC), and our esteemed guests graced the occasion with their august presence.
The programme started as scheduled, with a short introduction by the emcee, Ms Hiya Chatterjee. Wildlife and conservation is a vast subject with many variations. Accordingly, the Birdwatchers’ Society felt it necessary to adorn the stage with luminaries holding eminent positions in various departments of the Ministry of Environment and other nature organizations. The honoured list of dignitaries for the occasion included:
Mr. Niraj Singal, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Head of Forest Force
Dr. Debal Roy, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Chief Wildlife Warden
Dr. Dhriti Banerjee, Director, Zoological Survey of India
Ms. Saswati Sen, WB State Director, World Wildlife Fund
Mr. Subhankar Sengupta, Director, Kolkata Zoological Garden
Mr. Praveen J, Bird Count India
Dr. Ashwin Viswanathan, Bird Count India
Mr. Bishwapriya Raut, President, Birdwatchers’ Society
The first session began with a State of India’s Birds (SoIB) video screening. The short introduction provoked many thoughts in the audience’s mind and paved the way for an interactive presentation on bird monitoring activities. Ms. Mittal Gala, project manager with Bird Count India, started the session with references to birds in folklore, stamps and paintings and connected them to citizen science. She emphasized on the democratization of science with a demonstration of eBird (https://ebird.org/).
In the next session, Dr Ashwin Vishwanathan, explained how eBird works and how it aids in capturing the correct conservation data. A detailed Q&A with a discerning audience resolving their doubts about the eBird review, checklist and filters marked the end of the pre-lunch session.
The post-lunch session carried on the momentum with a presentation on the Birdwatchers’ Society given by Dr Kanad Baidya, Assistant Secretary, BWS. It was a mélange of a journey down memory lane and anticipation of the road ahead as Dr Kanad showcased BWS’s impact on conservation and nature education. The talk ended on a high, as the final slide spoke of a bird walk conducted by BWS for blind students
Dr. Ashwin Viswanathan talking about eBird and SoIB
Mr. Subhankar Sengupta delivering his speech
The next topic was an eye-opener on vulture conservation in the country. Ms. Malyasri Bhattacharya, a research fellow of the Wildlife Institute of India, is on a mission to conserve the critically endangered White-rumped vultures of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. Her thought-provoking presentation created a feeling of impending doom about the existence of vultures, whose population had reduced by 99% in the wild since the mid-1990s due to the usage of the veterinary drug ‘diclofenac’. Malyasri’s talk highlighted the immense efforts initiated in identifying safe zones for vultures to revive them from the brink of extinction.
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” says a Chinese proverb. The Meet showcased numerous small yet meaningful steps towards conservation, paving the way for a significant announcement. Mr. Praveen J., a citizen scientist with the Nature Conservation Foundation, introduced the audience to the Bird Atlas of Kerala and shared insights about its development. He then announced an exciting new initiative by the Birdwatchers’ Society (BWS): the creation of the Bird Monitoring Atlas for West Bengal! What will the Bird Atlas of West Bengal look like? Ms. Tumpa Bhattacharya addressed this curiosity with a presentation of the sample website for the Bengal Bird Atlas, offering a glimpse into the vision for this ambitious project. The Bird Atlas is a critical need for West Bengal, and its launch marks a major step forward in bird conservation for the region.
The final presentation was a journey of rescue and rehabilitation as if to put a silver lining to the cloud and convey that hope springs eternal. Mr. Chitrak Pramanik shared his story of fighting all odds to rescue birds from various accidents, rehabilitate them, and release them back into the wild.
Excerpts from State of the Indian Birds Report (SOIB) 2023 delivered a stark and alarming revelation for West Bengal: several bird species are facing significant population declines. The findings underscored an urgent call to action — the pressing need to strategize and implement effective conservation initiatives before it’s too late. The discussions made it abundantly clear that the role of the common citizen is pivotal. Such awareness and initiatives engaging in citizen science is not just important; it is indispensable for driving meaningful change and safeguarding our avian heritage. Thus emphasizing the significance of Bengal Birders’ Meet.
The concluding speech by Sujan Chatterjee, Secretary of BWS drew the eventful day to a close. The first-ever Bengal Birders’ Meet was a resounding success! It gave us the much-needed energy to continue our journey to create a safer planet for our feathered friends.
BWS member, researcher Malyashri Bhattacharya talking about her work on Vulture conservation
Our Host: Ms. Hiya Chatterjee
Chitrak Pramanik talking about bird rescue.
Guests are showing SoIB Poster
