CHENNAI: The State Forest Department will commence the first phase of the annual synchronised bird census on Saturday. The two-day first phase will cover the inland and coastal wetlands.
As per the sources, the annual bird census is conducted aligning with the migratory bird season, which is from October to April.
During the first phase, volunteers and forest staff will cover around 1,150 spots across TN. The second phase will cover terrestrial birds and will be conducted on March 15 and 16.
In 2024, bird census was conducted in the wetland bird census in January and terrestrial bird census in March. This year, the census was postponed due to the wetlands having higher water levels, as the monsoon had arrived late, delaying the arrival of migratory birds.
Methodology of the census includes approximations of large flocks, individual tallies, group counts, or the ‘block method’ for estimating numbers in mixed flocks. More than 9,800 persons will participate in the census which include volunteers, bird enthusiasts, NGOs and more than 3,000 staff from the Forest Department.
During the 2024 census of wetland birds, the forest department counted around 6.80 lakh birds covering 389 species, of which 5.36 lakh were water birds.