Bird Monitoring
Bird monitoring lies at the heart of the Birdwatchers’ Society’s mission. It is one of our most critical activities, as it provides the foundation for understanding bird populations, their seasonal movements, and the health of their habitats. Bird counts is one of the most critical activity undertaken by BWS – they are acts of watchfulness, windows into ecosystem health, and catalysts for community-based conservation.
Through systematic observation and documentation, BWS contributes valuable scientific data that guides conservation actions, informs policy, and strengthens citizen science. Monitoring not only helps track changes in biodiversity but also fosters awareness and engagement among people, reinforcing the vital connection between birds, ecosystems, and communities.
From the high Himalayas to southern floodplains, from seasonal migratory arrivals to dawn-time songs, the Birdwatchers’ Society (BWS) has continued to anchor and amplify citizen science in West Bengal and beyond.
Currently, BWS undertakes a wide range of censuses, counts, and surveys in addition to regular year-round bird walks and individual checklists submitted by members. These include:
• Asian Waterbird Census (AWC): A global initiative to assess the status of waterbirds and wetlands during their annual wintering season.
• Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC): A worldwide citizen science event engaging birdwatchers in documenting local bird diversity every February.
• Poila Baishakh Bird Count (PBBC): A community-driven initiative to celebrate the Bengali New Year with collective bird documentation.
• Dawn Chorus: A unique count held at daybreak in May, highlighting the richness of birdsong during breeding season.
• Himalayan Bird Count: A trans-boundary effort to monitor bird diversity across the Himalayan range on a single coordinated day.
• Heronry Count: Focused on tracking nesting colonies of herons, egrets, and storks during their breeding season.
• Fulbari Wetland Bird Count: A site-specific survey monitoring species richness and habitat health at Fulbari Wetlands.
• Farakka IBA Bird Survey: An intensive assessment of the Important Bird Area (IBA) at Farakka, covering migratory and resident species.