Bird census: 141 species spotted at Asan Reserve

Dehradun: As part of the coordinated Asian Water-bird Count (AWC), the Uttarakhand Biodiversity Board and forest department organised a pan-Uttarakhand bird count on Saturday. The counting engaged a large number of volunteer birdwatchers, field staff from the state forest department, nature guides, and villagers representing Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs).Dhananjai Mohan, chairman of Uttarakhand State Biodiversity Board, said, “A total of 5247 birds belonging to 141 species were recorded during the count. Out of these, 4287 were waterbirds or wetland-dependent birds belonging to 49 species. Thus, the count has remained much the same with slight fluctuations that are expected in biological populations.”The state's first Ramsar site, the Asan Conservation Reserve in Dehradun, was divided into five sectors, and simultaneously covered for nearly three to four hours to count birds. An area of the Asan River from the Herbertpur bridge to its confluence with the Yamuna hydel canal was covered for the first time.According to birdwatchers, the dry winters had no impact on the arrival of the birds in the region. Mohan said, “Lack of winter rains did not affect the arrival of these birds because they usually arrive by Oct, and their habitats are mostly impounded wetlands.” Authorities said that the total bird count details for the remaining 13 wetlands would be collated soon.