Guwahati: Over 29 nature enthusiasts from across India spotted 68 bird species at a birdwatching event at Assam’s Deepor Beel on Sunday.
The event was organized by India’s premier biodiversity conservation organization, Aaranyak, as part of its WeForNature campaign in collaboration with the Kamrup East Division of the Assam Forest Department.
Deepor Beel, Assam’s only Ramsar Site, is a haven for avian diversity, hosting over 26,000 birds from 96 different species, including both local and migratory varieties.
The winter season offers an ideal opportunity to observe the unique beauty of this wetland, as it attracts a diverse array of avian visitors.
“The event underscores the crucial role of community engagement in nature conservation and highlights the significance of educational initiatives in cultivating sustainable practices,” says Aaranyak.
As part of the WeForNature initiative, Aaranyak is leading such events to create a dedicated group of bird enthusiasts and develop a long-term avian database for the region.
Expert birders Udayan Borthakur (senior scientist at Aaranyak), Prasanna Kalita, and Partha Pratim Das led the event. Jimut Prasad Sarma, Finance Secretary of Aaranyak, also attended the event and encouraged the participants.
The Ramsar Convention designated the lake as a Ramsar Site in November 2002 for undertaking conservation measures on the basis of its biological and environmental importance.
The largest congregations of aquatic birds can be seen, particularly in winter, with a reported recorded count of 19,000 water birds in a day.
Among the large number of migratory water fowl, the Siberian crane (Grus leucogeranus) regularly migrates to this habitat during its annual journey. This is in addition to the large congregation of residential water birds seen in the lake.
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In 2023, it was reported that the population of birds like the pheasant-tailed jacana has been declining.
Considering the richness of the bird varieties found in the beel, the BirdLife International has declared Deepor Beel as an Important Bird Area (IBA) with high priority for conservation.
