HYDERABAD: After a two-year hiatus, the Birdwatchers' Society of Andhra Pradesh (BSAP) is back with the third edition of 'Bird Race' , which is being held in the city on Sunday. Aimed at spreading the message about the need for a healthy environment , the event will see over 100 city birdwatchers (amateur and professional ) participating in it and showcase the various species of birds found in and around Hyderabad. The race will be flagged off at Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet.
"We have identified certain areas such as Icrisat, Sanjeevaiah Park, Lotus Pond, Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad Central University and Narsapur forest where participants can spot birds. The team (27 people have registered so far) that logs the highest number of sightings will win the race," said M Shafaat Ulla, secretary , BSAP. He pointed out how this event was crucial for the city to take stock of its fast disappearing bird population.
"There was a time when we could spot 15-20 species of birds at any given time in the Banjara Hills area. Now, one sees none," Ulla said, expressing concern over the rapid concretization of Hyderabad which was taking a toll on its environment.
That the poor health of the city environment , due to pollution and deforestation , has driven away most of Hyderabad's birds is a claim that no one would dispute. Talking about the ongoing return migration season, they say how Hyderabad, over the last few years, has seen a sharp drop in the number of migratory birds that earlier visited from central Asia and Eastern Ghats. Right from ducks and warblers to storks, falcons and even harriers, the visits by these species , experts say, has dropped drastically , thanks to indiscriminate deforestation and encroachment of water bodies. "In such a scenario, it is very important that events like the bird race are held for people, especially the younger generation, to realise how essential it is to care for our environment ," said Rajeev Mathew, a wildlife expert.
"Another reason why it is so important to track the 'bird wealth' of Hyderabad is because the city sits in the middle of the central flyway (for migratory birds) and has a huge chunk of birds coming every season. We need to find out how many of them came this year and whether there has been a further drop in those numbers so that we can take corrective measures."
The last edition of the 'Bird Race' , which, too, was supported by the Great Hyderabad Adventure Club, was held in 2009.
