Volunteers document 242 bird species in Hyderabad in three seasons; Telangana State bird numbers vary
The Hindu
HBA's three surveys document 242 bird species in Hyderabad, revealing significant seasonal variations and rare sightings across three seasons.
The number of bird species documented in Hyderabad in three survey seasons of Hyderabad Bird Atlas (HBA) reached 242, with 214 recorded, preliminarily, in the season 3. The data is being reviewed and the final results output will be announced later. The season 4 is scheduled for Monsoon 2026.
The city-wide citizen science initiative, was jointly conducted by WWF-India, Hyderabad Birding Pals (HBP), and Deccan Birders (DB) for long-term documentation of birdlife across the city. The Atlas is being developed to understand bird distribution, monitor changes in its distribution and population, identify important bird areas and plan conservation. It will be conducted over three years. The first survey was conducted in winter (February, 2025), the second in Summer (July, 2025) the same year and the third during this year’s winter. Over 200 volunteers took part in each of the surveys.
While 195 bird species were documented in Season 1, 166 in Season 2, the highest of 214 species were recorded in Season 3, reflecting seasonal differences. Altogether, the HBA has documented a total of 242 bird species in the Hyderabad landscape.
Sriram Reddy, Ketan Turakhia, Gaurav Maheswari, Meena Karimi, Jyotsna Randhawa, Sruthini Kumaran, Akhila Pingali during Hyderabad Bird Atlas survey in Pedda Amberpet | Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT
“The Season 3 also produced several rare and noteworthy sightings. These included Long-legged Buzzard, nesting pair of Indian Spotted Eagle, Bonelli’s Eagle, Eurasian Wryneck, Red-headed Bunting, Baillon’s Crake and Spotted Redshank. The Indian Roller, Telangana’s State Bird, showed notable variation across the three seasons. In Season 1, 26 Indian Rollers were recorded from 22 different locations, while Season 2 saw a sharp decline with only four individuals documented from three locations. In contrast, Season 3 recorded a strong presence, with 38 Indian Rollers documented from 33 locations across the city,” as per a press note.
Volunteers engaged in documenting bird species, for Hyderabad Bird Atlas | Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT
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