Pune student records 170 bird species on banks of Vadodara’s Vishwamitri river

Approximately 20-22 birds were registered in the first two weeks of the study which he carried out in two shifts of three hours each in the morning and afternoon.

“I was disappointed because the time I chose was perfect for migratory birds but I could view very few species in urban areas during my morning visits. Hence, I decided to try afternoons and in upper catchment areas in villages. It worked – birds come out for basking in winters from 12-3 pm. On the very first day I could observe 32-35 species,” he said.

Approximately 20-22 birds were registered in the first two weeks of the study. (Express photo)

Working under the guidance of Dr Jagruti Rathod who is an expert in avifaunal diversity in urban areas of Vadodara, Santhosh was able to spot migratory birds like little grebe, short-toed snake eagle, Indian spotted eagle, sirkeer malkoha and the brown-capped pygmy woodpecker in the upper catchment area.

In urban areas he was able to record three types of raptors – shikra, oriental honey buzzard and black kite, besides the yellow-footed green pigeon, Indian grey hornbill and lesser whitethroat.

“I have explored states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. I wanted to look for a new state and Vishwamitri is famous for migratory birds, but I didn’t expect such a huge number. I thought I would spot 60-70 species only,” Santhosh told the Indian Express.

He explained that the river will be able to attract much more biodiversity, even in urban areas, if the water is cleaned and with proper waste management measures in place. “My study will be a comparison between the diversity in the rural and urban banks of Vishwamitri,” he said.

(Written by Swarali Joshirao)