30 bird species spotted at Ggn’s Aravalli park

GURGAON: Bird enthusiasts from Delhi and Gurgaon, equipped with binoculars, cameras, lenses, books and note pads, gathered at the Aravalli Biodiversity Park near Guru Dronacharya Metro Station on Tuesday to spot birds native to the region.

The bird watching was part of the month-long Aravalli Utsav, which was launched on November 1. The festival is aimed at conserving nature and making people aware of the importance of the ecosystem and how each organism is dependent on the other for survival. The bird watching, which started at 7am and continued till 9am, not only presented the participants with an opportunity to spot the different species of fowls native to the region, but also get a sense of the significance that the winged wonders hold in preserving the ecosystem.

During the two-hour session, the participants learnt to differentiate between the male and female of a species and sense a bird’s ‘call’ and ‘song’.

Kaustabh Srikanth, programme officer with WWF-India said, “The WWF-India eco-trail initiative, which is part of the Aravalli Utsav, aims to spread awareness about the importance of the Aravalli forest range that provides an ideal habitat to a number of birds, animals and trees. Today, the team of 12 spotted 30 species of birds, including the Black Kite, Shrike, Drongo, Sparrow and Bulbul, among many others.”

A participant said, “This was a wonderful experience, as we learn a lot from these trails. They also give us an opportunity to find peace in the lap of nature.”