A total of 108 species of birds have been spotted in the sprawling campus of Mangalore University by a team of birdwatchers during the campus bird count (CBC). This CBC is a part of the Great Backyard Bird Count organized by the Bird Count of India.
Key Points
- The campus bird count was conducted from February 12 to 15. The campus is spread over an area of 353-acres.
- According to the Department of Applied Zoology Chairman in the university, Sreepada K.S., the Green Sandpiper, the Yellow-Billed Babbler, and the Grey-Necked Bunting are the new additions to the avian list of the campus.
- With this, the CBC of the university has by far recorded a total of 146 species on the campus in six years. Some of the birds recorded this year are the Black Kite, the Black Drongo, the Common Iora, the Purple-Rumped Sunbird, the Green Wabler, the White-Cheeked Barbet, the Red-Whiskered Bulbul, the Jungle Babbler, the Brahminy Kite, and the Plum-headed Parakeets.
- The Grey Wagtail, the Booted Eagle, the Indian Pitta, and the Ashy Drongo are the migratory birds.
- The Flame-Throated Bulbul, the Rufous Babbler, and the Grey-Headed Bulbul are the endemic birds of the Western Ghats and the Nightjars, the Barn Owl, the Sri Lanka Frogmouth, the Spotted Owlet, the nocturnal birds, were recorded.
- However, some of the bird species spotted in the previous years were not seen in the present survey like the Thick-Billed Flowerpecker, the Jerdon’s Leafbird, the Stork-billed Kingfisher, the Coppersmith Barbet, etc.
- The observation also included prey catching by the Shikra, nest, and nestlings of the House Crow, and the Indian Nightjar (nocturnal bird) activity during the daytime.
- The CBC of the university recorded 77 species in the year 2016. 95 species were recorded in 2017, 110 in 2018, 107 in 2019, and 103 were recorded in 2020.
This year, the event was coordinated by a research scholar in the Department of Applied Zoology in the university, Vivek Hasyagar, and a bird watcher from Kasaragod, Maxim Rodrigues. Survey trails were carried out by 54 participants including research scholars, students, and faculty members from various departments of the university.
