The two -day national seminar entitled “Birds through Civil Science: The Decade of Transformation” was jointly organized by the College of Climate Change and Environmental Science and the College of Forestry under the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) in cooperation with Keral Bird Monitor Collective (KBM). The event, which took place in the central auditorium of the university, was recently inaugurated by the source of G. Kršnan, the main guardian of the wilderness of Kerala.
The seminar linked scientists, researchers and birds enthusiasts to celebrate and think about ten years of initiative for science science in Kerala in bird watching. Among the main dignitaries were Vice -Rector Kau Dr. Ashok; Dr. Kannan CS Warrior, Director of the Institute for Forest Research in Kerala; Dr. O. Nameer, Dean College of Climate Change and Environmental Science; Dr. Ratheesh RL of the University of Kereal Veterinary and Animal Sciences University; and Poe J. of Bird Count India, Bengaluru.
At the seminar, presentations on bird studies were presented across habitats such as wetlands, forests and water formations, along with discussions on research publications and interactive sessions of questions and answers. The topics included current bird watching procedures, challenges and future opportunities. The event was attended by about 200 participants from scientific, academic and research environments.
10 years of watching birds
The KERAL birds team is celebrating decades of impressive civic science in watching and protecting birds. Over the past ten years, more than 10,000 citizens in Keral have contributed over 7,000,000 bird records in this initiative. To date, 559 bird species have been documented through this collective effort.
One of its significant achievements is the completion of the main project Mapping of Bird Bird Atlas, achieved in just five years of surveys at 3,000+ places by more than 1,000 bird observers.
The joint program of bird watching has played a crucial role in monitoring everyday bird species that serve as ecological indicators. This initiative has helped generate basic data on Panchayat birds, supported by distribution of materials with familiar materials such as local bird posters, to several panchayat and municipal authorities.
The structured monitoring of Heronries brought a look into nest, population trends and threats. Asian census has allowed the accurate estimate of the populations of water birds and their migration formulas and offers a clearer understanding of the health of the wetlands. Efforts such as beach combing have supported documentation and protection planning for declining populations of coastal birds.
To assess the ecological state of internationally recognized wetlands, the Ramsar site was monitored. Meanwhile, surveys of pelagic birds helped study seafood and their migration patterns.
Systematic bird surveys are also carried out in all forest divisions in the state. Through these initiatives, Kerala became a model of documentation on the biodiversity based on the community and combined participation in the local level with scientific strictness in the field of bird protection.
Published – June 15, 2025 20:17
