Page 39 - Creature Companion, September 2020

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CHASING BIRDS always on their mind. Lastly, there all of them feel rewarding, some more
Birds are fascinating beings for are twitchers – they tend to drop than others. There are times when
various reasons and different people everything they’re doing to travel you get to see all the species you
engage with them in their own to where a rare bird would’ve been wished for, on one of those lucky days
different ways. There are different spotted, in the hope of seeing it. you can get unexpected sightings
species of birdwatchers itself, to There’s always a risk of missing the of rare migrants or of birds that are
name prominent categories, there bird by the time they reach the spot, diffi cult to see in the open. If you get
are Ornithologists, birders, listers, it’s all part of the thrill! a chance to go birding with seasoned
and twitchers. Ornithologists are birders, their knowledge about birds
experts who study birds scientifi cally Most birders and in case of non- and their habitats, usually happens
and have related qualifi cations. birders, those who must have to be the reward. The biggest reward
Birders on the other hand, observe watched the movie ‘The Big Year’, of all is that you connect with nature
birds in their natural habitats. must be familiar with what ‘Big and get to marvel at some wonderful
They are usually common citizens Year’ means. It’s when an individual birds of all kinds.
with an interest in birds; they have decides to see maximum number
different levels of experience, from of species in a single year, either in We have a growing number of birders
their country or around the world. in India, and social media platforms
Spotted Owlet
The first person to complete the Big such as Facebook have made it

Year in India was Shashank Dalvi, extremely easy to connect with like-
who observed 1128 species in 2015, minded individuals to learn and
out of around 1300+ found in India. exchange knowledge about birds. It
It’s quite fascinating to think that he is worth mentioning that individuals
was observing birds in one Indian like you and I can play an important
state in the morning and in another role in helping advance science
by evening. and research by documenting bird
life and sharing our observations
One of the things about birding, I’m on platforms such as eBird India.
drawn to the most, is the surprise Our data can be used to study bird
element it has. Every birding trip has populations, local migration patterns,
its own big and small surprises and etc. If your question is how to get
Credits: Priyal Shah Red-billed blue magpie

being amateurs to seasoned birders.
Different individuals also integrate
other things while birding, such as
bird photography and illustration.
With increasing access to affordable
cameras, the focus these days has
shifted to photography rather than Credits: Original - John Reeves, reproduction - Priyal Shah
observing through binoculars.

The other type is called a lister, they
make a list of birds they see and
growing their life list or kinds of birds
observed in an individual’s lifetime is

SEPTEMBER 2020 • VOL. XIII • ISSUE 7 • NOIDA | Creature Companion 39