Sálim Ali Bird Count Report November 5 to 12, 2020 1 Address: Bombay Natural History Society, Hornbill House, S.B. Singh Road, Mumbai 400 001, Maharashtra, India. Tel.: (91-22) 2282 1811 Fax: (91-22) 2283 7615 Email: [email protected] Cover Picture: Photo provided by BNHS Photo Library. Recommended citation Kasambe, R., N. Dudhe (2021) Sálim Ali Bird Count Report. Indian Bird Conservation Network and Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai. 24 pp. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Thanks to all the participant bird watchers and partner organizations. 2 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 04 RESULTS 05 TABLES 06 3 INTRODUCTION The Sálim Ali Bird Count (SABC) is a birding event conducted by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) every year on November 12 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr Sálim Ali (1896–1987), the ‘Bird Man of India’. SABC was renewed in 2015, after a long gap of fifteen years. In 2020, BNHS organized the SABC along with its Environmental Information System (ENVIS) Resource Partner on Avian Ecology (ENVIS) and in association with Bird Count India (birdcount.in), Maharashtra Pakshimitra Sanghatana, and Indian Bird Conservation Network (IBCN). Birders across India participated in this event by documenting birds from November 5 to 12, 2020. The Sálim Ali Bird Count is a Citizen Science initiative, and the only criterion to participate in this event is an interest in birds. While the minimum count time is 15 minutes, participants are encouraged to extend it up to at least an hour to make the count more meaningful and preferably undertake the exercise early morning as birds tend to become quiet and inactive during the middle of the day. The SABC also encourages participants not to restrict themselves to this one-time event, but monitor the chosen area consistently all through the year so that there is a continuous record of the bird life in the chosen grid/area. The chosen site can be one of the nearest Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA book link:- http://bnhsenvis.nic.in/Database/Important- Bird-And-Biodiversity-Areas-In-India_18738.aspx ) or any waterbody or a wooded patch. The count can be recorded either individually or in a group. The participants were intimated about the count dates and the process through social networking sites like Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, Google groups and other modes of communication. They submitted their checklists through eBird platform (https://ebird.org/) and BNHS mobile application “Internet of Birds” (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.internetofbirds&hl=en_IN&gl=US). 4 RESULTS As many as 2926 birdwatchers from across the country participated in the bird count and reported 855 species. More than 26,000 checklists were uploaded from India. The top four states in terms of checklists uploaded were Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu. Bangalore alone uploaded 616 checklists, which is the highest for a single district. Out of seven regions across the country,Common Myna was reported from four regions in large numbers. Birdwatchers also documented an incredible diversity of nocturnal species like owls (20 species including Oriental Bay Owl), nightjars (6 species), and frogmouth (one). Some of the highlights from the northern part of India were Cheer Pheasant, Pallas’s Fish Eagle, and Himalayan Owl and from the southern region, Daurian Starling, Legge’s Hawk-Eagle, Kashmir Flycatcher. During the count, a few Endangered species like Indian Skimmer and Black-bellied Tern were also recorded. Some incredible birds like Parrotbills and range-restricted Wren-Babblers were reported from Arunachal Pradesh. Some other interesting sightings include Northern Goshawk from Kashmir, Indian Grassbird from Uttarakhand, Brown- rumped Minivet from Assam, Little Crake from Rajasthan, and White-naped Tit from Gujarat. Region-wise participation: Region Checklists Number of Species Andaman and Nicobar 68 135 Central India 2044 438 East 545 612 Himalayas 711 509 North 576 350 South 5660 475 West 780 404 Fig: Map showing the diversity of birdlife based on the checklists received from these regions. 5 Fig: Point Map showing locations from where the checklists were received. Tables: Table: List of bird species reported during Sálim Ali Bird Count Sr.