Birding enthusiasts celebrate November with #birdNov campaign on social media

Dhyaneshwaran V.R. A Sketch of the Great Hornbill by | photo credit: special arrangement

The return of a pair of pied kingfishers to a leak tank on the Rishi Valley School campus in Andhra Pradesh after two decades has been posted on Instagram under #birdNov. A brief note on the contribution of naturalist S Rangaswamy, the author of the book, has also been added to this post. Birds of Rishi Valley and renewal of their habitats. On Facebook, a series of watercolor sketches praises the heron, cormorant and great hornbill, whose deep raucous calls echo through the dense evergreen forested valleys of the Western Ghats. Meanwhile, one can also learn how the metallic ‘tuk-tuk-tuk’ (similar to the sound of a copper piece hitting a copper sheet) of a bird earned it the name Coppersmith Barbet.

November is celebrated in the bird community as it is the birth month of India’s birdman, Dr. Salim Ali, and marks the beginning of the winter migration of birds from the Northern Hemisphere to the Indian subcontinent. Social media is ecstatic as the celebration begins with #BirdNav, where one can post art, writing, songs, talks, photos, doodling, dance, awareness programs and bird walks to celebrate birds and nature .

Dr. Salim Ali | photo credit: special arrangement

November 12, 2022 is the 126th birth anniversary of Salim Ali, the father of Indian ornithology. Salim Ali has inspired, nurtured and left behind a breed of researchers and bird watchers, young and old, who carry on his legacy. What better way to pay tribute to a legend who has inspired generations of bird watchers. November day.

Her latest post is on the European roller that breeds in Western Europe and Central Asia, including Kashmir. Like the Amur falcon and the common cuckoo, the European roller makes remarkable journeys from Central Asia through India and crosses the Arabian Sea to spend the winter in Africa. “I also download the associated animated migration map that tracks the migratory route from the citizen science platform eBird for a better understanding of this fascinating phenomenon. As daylight diminishes at breeding sites in the Northern Hemisphere, there is less demand for food. As supplies dwindle, birds migrate to wintering sites in the south. Their arrival also shows that our environment is healthy.

Boopathy Srinivasan, a design thinker based in Chennai and an alumnus of NID Ahmedabad, says BirdNow, which is entering its third edition this year, is a model that brings together design strategies such as Inktober and Nature, Such a Margazy season. “Every skill set engages with nature and initiates a discussion on the environment. And, ultimately, conservation,” says Boopathy, who has trained urban birds such as barn swallows, yellow-billed barbels, red-vented bulbuls, sunbirds and paradise flycatchers. He has made sketches of trees that he has seen in the densely populated areas in and around Thiruvanmiyur in Chennai.

Participants can upload a post on birds every day using the hashtags #birdNov and #birdNov2022. “The contribution of birders to various online platforms has increased significantly in the last three years,” says P Jeganathan of the Tamil Birders Network. Eagle. “As birders, we want this movement to grow organically. For example, when Margazhi happens, people get up early and start applying kolams. Similarly every day in November in some form Bird watching should be celebrated.

Pied Kingfisher | photo credit: special arrangement

Do you know that the Gray-fronted Green Pigeon is endemic to the Western Ghats? Birder Vishnu Shankar puts the spotlight on endemic birds including the Nilgiri wood pigeon, Malabar gray hornbill and Malabar parakeet. “I saw the grey-scented green pigeon bird at Rajapalayam and Ayyanar Falls. The photos should inspire people to pick up their binoculars and go bird watching.”

Information about birds is already circulating on various social media platforms including books on birds, poetry, watercolor sketches, migration information and wetlands. Shilpa Das, who teaches humanities at NID, shares a painting of Birds Red Adavat and Cherry (1892) by Japanese artist Keibun Matsumoto to pay tribute to Salim Ali and also look at art history and birds, while Birds from Sage Valley Viewer and ecologist V Santharam shares photos of birds with school writings. Nature educator Beader Anglin Mano of the Salem Ornithological Foundation documents Salem’s wetlands and birding hotspots. “One can make use of this month-long festival to see the environment, its patterns and the birds,” says Boopathy.