The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Bangalore birders gear up for field day

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Bangalore birders gear up for field day

Staff Reporter

Bangalore: It is that time of year again when Bangalore’s intrepid birdwatchers, amateurs and professionals alike, hit the road with checklists and binoculars in hand, to tick as many birds as they can spot.

The popular HSBC Bangalore BirdRace, an annual winter event, is back on January 17, and bird lovers have begun signing up for the challenge. They will come together in teams of four and compete for prizes — given to the team that spots the largest number of species and to the team that sights the rarest bird of the day.

As always, “you can walk, trek, dive or drive or even fly” to reach your “sight”, say the organisers, but they insist on some rules.

For instance each team must have at least one proficient birder who is familiar with the region’s birdlife; the team must visit at least two places in the city zone it has chosen; the geographical limit is a radius of 50 km of Bangalore but Nandi Hills is an exception to this rule.

Each team will be given a bird logbook consisting of a checklist of all bird species that have been recorded within the geographical limits of Bangalore city.

The dawn-to-dusk event will end with dinner and of course, the prize distribution. Registration closes on Sunday.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka