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Project to monitor avian migration

The migrant birds arrive from the Himalayas or further north. Picture shows a Grey wagtail.

Migrant Watch, a project which enables people from all over the country to monitor the movement of nine species of birds that migrate to India during winter, has evoked considerable excitement among bird-watchers in Kerala, particularly in Wayanad.

Migrant Watch is floated by the Indian Birds, a journal that deals with the scientific study of birds.

All that is required to participate in the project is the ability to identify the nine species of migrant birds— northern shoveler, marsh harrier, wood sandpiper, common swallow, grey wagtail, brown shrike, black redstart, greenish warbler and rosy starling. The migrant birds arrive from the Himalayas or further north. Participants have to be on the look out for these birds around their homes, schools and workplace and report the first date on which they see each species.

With a little more effort, participants can maintain a daily record of the species. The information is then submitted by e-mail or post, says C.K. Vishnudas, Wayanad-based ornithologist and participant in the project.

The observations recorded during the programme are expected to explain the impact of global environmental change on the flora and fauna.

The Migrant Watch web site ( www.ncbs.res.in/citsci/) provides details about the activities, on how to participate in the project and tips to identify the nine species (with the help of photographs and audio files).

Country-wide maps of migration dates will be made annually on the basis of information from the project’s participants. Migrant Watch will help the members assess if the timing of the migration changes with change in temperature and rainfall.

The project is supported by the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, under the Citizen Science initiative.

Citizen Science refers to scientific investigations carried out with the help of a network of volunteers.

Citizen Science programmes in other countries are used to aid studies such as those on stars, birds, butterflies and water. One can become a participant in the project by signing up for Migrant Watch ( www.ncbs.res.in/citsci/).

R. Madhavan Nair

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