3rd Big Butterfly Count held in Delhi-ncr
NEW DELHI: Searching for butterflies, more than five hundred people fanned out in some of the greenest parts of Delhi on Sunday. People from various walks of life including children, wildlife enthusiasts and experts were participants in the third Big Butterfly Count.
The count, led by Bombay Natural History Society, also marked the culmination of the Butterfly Month which started earlier this month.experts who participated in the count, however, said the number of species spotted this year could be lower compared to previous years because of heavy rains on Saturday and the windy conditions that prevailed on Sunday morning.
“This time spotting the butterflies was a bit difficult. They were hiding in the bushes because of Butterly counting at 45 locations across Delhi-ncr
More than 500 people participated in initiative led by Bombay Natural History Society
Final count to be released on September 28
Final count is expected to drop because of rain and windy conditions
strong winds. The count could drop this year,” Sohail Madan, centre manager OFBNHS at Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, said.
When the count started in 2017, at least 69 species were spotted ,
in 2018 the count went up to 75. This final count for this year is expected to be released on September 28.
Preliminary results from the city’s seven biodiversity parks revealed that the maximum number of species was recorded at the Aravalli Biodiversity Park.
Butterflies are among the most widely studied insects in the world and are said to be the best pollinators along with bees. They are also believed to good indicators of pollution.
“Butterflies need some specific host plants which are found in the wild. Manicured gardens and parks lack these host plants as they are removed as weeds. In biodiversity parks, we have created butterfly conservatories which host such plants ,” Faiyaz A Khudsar, scientist-in-charge , Yamuna Biodiversity Park, said.experts now plan to create butterfly corridors in the city by planting host plants in various parks and gardens which would act as highways for the butterflies while they are travelling from one park to another in search of food and breeding spaces.