The National Zoological Park (NZP) in New Delhi has introduced a new initiative called 'Sunday Bird Walk @ NZP' aimed at birdwatchers in the national capital. This program is designed to encourage public participation in biodiversity monitoring, bird documentation, and conservation awareness.
Inaugural Bird Walk
The first bird walk took place on Sunday from 6:30 am to 9:30 am, guided by renowned ornithologist Dr. Paritosh Ahmad and a team of dedicated birding volunteers. Participants recorded a variety of notable bird species, including the Indian Peafowl, Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, Asian Koel, Common Hawk-Cuckoo, White-breasted Waterhen, Painted Stork, Indian Cormorant, Black-crowned Night Heron, Little Egret, Great Egret, White-throated Kingfisher, Brown-headed Barbet, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Common Tailorbird, Ashy Prinia, Wire-tailed Swallow, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Indian White-eye, Jungle Babbler, Common Myna, Purple Sunbird, Black Kite, Red-wattled Lapwing, Indian Pond Heron, and several other wetland-associated species.
Encouraging Response
The program received an enthusiastic response from birdwatchers, nature enthusiasts, students, and wildlife lovers. A total of 58 registrations were received, with 23 participants actively joining the walk. During the session, participants successfully documented 33 bird species and observed over 100 individual birds across the zoo premises.
Citizen Science Platform
The initiative has been conceptualized as a citizen science platform, allowing participants to contribute to documenting avian diversity within the zoo landscape while learning scientific methods of bird observation, identification, and data recording.
Expert Insights
Dr. Paritosh Ahmad addressed the participants, sharing valuable insights into bird identification, behavior, ecological significance, and conservation. He emphasized the vital role birds play in maintaining ecological balance through seed dispersal, pest control, pollination, and ecosystem monitoring.
Future Plans
Through this initiative, NZP aims to foster environmental stewardship among citizens and generate valuable biodiversity records through community participation. The National Zoological Park plans to organize the 'Sunday Bird Walk @ NZP' every Sunday morning, with participation limited to 20 individuals per session aged 18 years and above.
