The Amur Falcon has been spotted in Uttarakhand for the first time and volunteers participating in the sixth Great Himalayan Bird Count which was started in Uttarakhand on Monday are hopeful of sighting this and many other birds.
The bird-count being organised by Action and Research for Conservation in Himalayas (ARCH), began from Dehradun with volunteers from across the nation and abroad. Inaugurating the 6th Great Himalayan Bird Count 2013, former Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said Uttarakhand had a rich flora and fauna which was one of its main wealth.
This State has been the first school for environmentalists, he said while welcoming bird watchers to Uttarakhand and stating that only good humans love birds. Founder trustee of ARCH Prateek Panwar said in the six years till now, the bird count had facilitated the discovery of three bird species sighted in Uttarakhand for the first time. The latest bird sighted near Mussoorie was the Amur Falcon.