The GBBC is a worldwide event where birdwatchers of all levels record bird sightings over four days in February. BWS has been actively mobilising members and communities to participate, helping highlight local bird diversity and trends while engaging the wider public in birdwatching.

GBBC 2025 Highlights

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) 2025 event, held from 14th to 17th February,concluded with tremendous success! West Bengal once again claimed the top spot on the species table in India, recording an astonishing 563 species in just four days—surpassing last year’s impressive total of 543 species.Kudos to the incredible Bengal birders for this achievement!

National & State Highlights

  • ✅ West Bengal led with 563 species and 2,401 checklists
  • ✅ Darjeeling recorded the highest number of species: 259
  • ✅ South 24 Parganas submitted the most checklists: 755

Star Performers

Top birders (by species): Baharuddin Sk, Saikat Das, Shuvendu Das, Souvick Mukherjee.
Checklist Champions (100+ submissions): Shuvendu Das, Souvick Mukherjee, Santanu Manna,Bharatendra Singh Parihar, Saikat Das.

  • ✅ Shuvendu Das – 116 checklists, 209 species
  • ✅ Souvick Mukherjee – 112 checklists, 207 species
  • ✅ Santanu Manna – 112 checklists, 200 species
  • ✅ Bharatendra Singh Parihar – 106 checklists, 82 species
  • ✅ Saikat Das – 102 checklists, 223 species

Key Sightings

  • ✅ Ibisbill (*Ibidorhyncha struthersii*) – North Bengal, reported by Dipprovo Majumdar & Santu Dutta
  • ✅ Common Starling (*Sturnus vulgaris*) – Malda, recorded by Subhasish Sengupta
  • ✅ Spotted Crake (*Porzana porzana*) – Buripar wetlands, observed by Sujit Kumar Mandal

Overall Participation

Over 200 bird enthusiasts took part in West Bengal, submitting a staggering 2,397 complete checklists. GBBC continues to be a vital event for monitoring population trends and identifying India’s most common bird species.

GBBC 2024 Highlights

  • ✅ 7,920 species of birds identified
  • ✅ 210 countries or subregions joined
  • ✅ 384,416 eBird checklists submitted

Collectively, India recorded 1,039 species, placing
third globally for the most species seen.

  • ✅ 133% growth in the use of Merlin with 5,308 identifications
  • ✅ West Bengal reported the most species: 544
  • ✅ Tamil Nadu logged the most checklists: 14,663