With the autumn quietly passing, the Uttarakhand spring bird festival is all set to welcome the new season, beginning at Pawalgarh conservation reserve here on February 4. Though known for its rich bio-diversity of flora and fauna, the conservation reserve always remains a centre of attraction for the tourists and wildlife activists. The addition of a chapter of rural tourism offering a feel of Kumaoni lifestyle and a wide variety of its traditional delicacies is going to make the five-day bird-watching show more attractive.
Nature guides will help the enthusiastic bird lovers to identify different kinds of birds in Pawalgarh reserve and its adjacent areas, including Kyari, Sitabani and Kaladhungi, to name a few places. Side by side, a Jim Corbett heritage walk from Jim Corbett museum at Chhoti Haldwani which was once home to the famous hunter- turned- conservationist, Jim Corbett, has also been scheduled in the calendar of this five-day-long bird watching festival.
The Uttarakhand forest department's ecotourism department is organising this event in conjunction with some other agencies. The basic aim of promoting bird watching is conserving flora and fauna and enhancing community benefits, maintained the officials concerned. Since this Pawalgarh conservation reserve is also part of the Nainital district, the Nainital district administration has asked the officials concerned to make necessary arrangements to ensure the event is uccessful. Moreover, it helps in cleanliness in and around the event sites and around the resorts and guest houses.
The Pawalgarh reserve that falls under Ramnagar forest division was notified in December 2012. It is approachable by road from both Ramnagar and Haldwani. The nearest airport is Pantnagar. Some of the bird species which are found in the aforesaid conservation reserve include the Great Hornbill, Nepal Wren Babbler, Jungle Owlet, White-Browed Fulvetta, Chestnut Capped Babbler, Rufous Bellied Eagle, Great Slaty Woodpecker, little Pied Flycatcher, Blue-bearded bee- eater. The district administration of Nainital has also asked the officials concerned to organise free of cost shuttle bus service for the tourists or visitors during the five-day-long event.
It has also called upon the organisers to put up stalls offering Kumaoni cuisines so that the visitors could experience the native dishes. The district administration has asked the officials concerned to invite the registered nature guides so that proper information could be provided to the visitors. Security must also be ensured during the event, the district officials have been told.