254 species recorded in bird survey

Winter bird count 2024 highlights

- HT Correspondent

A week after around 100 birders set out across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) on Sunday to take part in the Delhi Winter Bird Count 2024, experts who participated in the exercise have said that they recorded 254 species in and around the national capital.

The bird count was carried out on December 1, covering major wetlands and birding habitats across NCR. Though the diversity of the birds remained fairly high—birders spotted several rare species such as the Eurasian griffon, the little bunting, and the slender-billed gull—experts said this time, the overall density of migratory birds appeared to be much lower than usual, possibly because of the delayed onset of winter this year.

"Usually, the number of bird species spotted at this time of the year fluctuates between 230 and 250. Therefore, while the late onset of winter has impacted the total population of each wintering species, the diversity of wintering birds continues to be good for the season, and is comparable or even better than the previous years," said Kanwar B Singh, one of the organisers of the count.