Time to count waterbirds
Participate in the Asian Waterbird Census this January
Mumbai: 01 January 2021: Waterbirds are key indicators to understand the health of wetlands along with highlighting the importance of these wetlands for both humans and birds. Asian Waterbird Census (AWC), a pan-India initiative coordinated by BNHS and Wetlands International in India is a citizen science programme supporting management and conservation of waterbirds and wetlands. It is a part of the global International Waterbird Census (IWC). This time AWC is scheduled between 2nd to 17th January 2021.
The AWC encourages people to count waterbirds in wetlands around them and collect information that will help to promote the designation and management of internationally important sites such as nationally protected areas, Ramsar sites and Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs). The data collected through AWC will also be helpful in identifying and protecting new sites of importance for waterbirds. Birders can participate in AWC anytime in January apart from the mentioned dates, and counts from any day in January will be welcome.
How to participate:
- Download AWC count forms from AWC website https://south-asia.wetlands.org/news/join-us-for-the-asian-waterbird-census-2021/ (click on the AWC Count & Wetland Assessment Entry Form 2021)
- Venture for bird watching and count waterbirds around wetlands or Important Bird Areas (IBAs) around you during 2nd-17th January or any time in the month of January 2021.
- If you have participated in AWC earlier, visit the same site along with any new sites you wish to cover. We encourage birders to cover as many sites as possible
- The Count forms can be submitted through state coordinators with a copy to awc@wetlands.org and p.sathiyaselvam@bnhs.org. To know contact details please see the weblink: https://www.wetlands.org/profile/india/,
- For more information you can visit the website here: https://south-asia.wetlands.org/news/join-us-for-the-asian-waterbird-census-2021/
- The AWC Count reports can be submitted to your AWC State Coordinator and CC to awc@wetlands.org and wetlands@bnhs.org by the end of February 2021.
- If there is no coordinator, forms can be submitted to awc@wetlands.org and p.sathiyaselvam@bnhs.org or if submissions are to be made by post, forms should be sent to Wetlands International – South Asia office, A25 Second Floor, Defence Colony, New Delhi, India.
- Forms should be submitted by end of February 2021.
Contact for further details: p.sathiyaselvam@bnhs.org