The seventh edition of the Chennai Bird Race will take place on Jan. 25, 2015. The registration are open and extended till midnight of Jan. 20, 2015.
The Bird Race is a dawn-to-dusk event, where large numbers of experienced, amateurs, and budding birdwatchers spend a whole day spotting and identifying birds in an attempt to record as many species of birds as possible.
Teams of four fan out to visit various birding spots in Chennai: each team consists of one expert and three novices, so that the new initiates get a chance to learn the finer points of birdwatching from experts.
K V Sudhakar, President, Madras Naturalists’ Society (MNS) and V. Santharam, Director, Institute of Bird Studies, Rishi Valley are the Coordinators for the Chennai Bird Race. In the previous years, the race has thrown up many unusual species of birds which have either not been seen recently or not been reported before. The highlight in 2012, for instance, was the Indian Skimmer, which has rarely been reported before. Some of the habitats for birds that birdwatchers make a beeline for are the Nanmangalam scrub jungle, Pallikaranai marshes, and the Muttukadu backwaters.
Honourable mention will be made for the top three spots (maximum number of birds spotted) There will be a separate category for ‘green birding’, i.e. for the team that spots the maximum number of birds travelling in an eco-friendly way using public and mass transport. The top spot for this will also be announced. All teams start at 6 am and close the day at 6 pm. Later, they get together for an interactive experience sharing session followed by dinner.
Register at http://blackbug.org.in
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