The fourth Uttarakhand Spring Bird Festival concluded at the Nandhaur wildlife sanctuary in Nainital district on Sunday. A cultural programme was also held on the occasion of conclusion of the spring bird festival which had been inaugurated on the occasion of World Wildlife day on Friday. Apart from the local school children who got a glimpse into the interesting and colourful world of birds, about 47 persons included nature guides, forest department staff, bird watching enthusiasts and people from other spheres participated in the bird watching sessions and other activities held as part of the three-day bird watching festival.
The department officials state that apart from helping generate and spread awareness among visitors regarding wildlife and its varied aspects, the event also entailed various competitive events including a painting competition in which students from about half a dozen schools in the Haldwani area participated with much enthusiasm.
It is pertinent to mention here that according to the state forest department officials, Uttarakhand possesses an unrivalled richness in the diversity of avi-fauna with about 710 species representing more than half of all the bird species found in India being recorded in the state. With the state government focusing on various aspects including the development of eco-tourism for sustainable income generation, bird watching has also grown from being a hobby practiced by a few number of people to a major activity forming the basis of bird tourism which holds considerable potential for facilitating both the conservation of this Himalayan State’s unique natural heritage and for livelihood generation in remove areas of the state. The Uttarakhand spring bird festival was aimed at improving the profile of Uttarakhand as a major Indian state for bird conservation and as an important destination for bird watching while at the same time also popularising other lesser-known destinations like the Nandhaur wildlife sanctuary where the fourth spring bird festival was held. Various activities were held during the three-day programme with an aim to aid scaling up the bird awareness, bird-watching activity and benefits through bird tourism and ecotourism by bringing together the avi-fauna, birdwatchers and local communities on a single platform. Providing an opportunity for birth-watching in Nandhaur wildlife sanctuary to bird-watchers and those new to this activity like members of the general public and school students around Chorgalia area, the spring bird festival also elicited focus on the need for increasing awareness on birds and bird-tourism, its current and potential benefits for bird conservation and community-based livelihoods through ecotourism. The three-day programme was also marked by bird watching camp to orient guides and team leaders, release of publications – Birds of Nandhaur, Butterflies of Nandhaur, an updated checklist and bibliography of birds in Uttarakhand, and guided bird-watching in addition to presentations and panel discussions on various aspects related to birds and the environment, tourism and tourism destinations.