Pune’s Fergusson College students did a big bird count from February 14 to 17. They found 81 different types of birds on their college campus. In this count, 68 students helped and noted down 2,186 bird sightings using their mobile phones.
When they compared this year’s count with last year, they found that seven types of birds were seen less than before. This shows that changing weather is affecting our bird friends. Some birds that fly from far away places like Europe, such as green warbler, red-breasted flycatcher, and tree pipit, were also seen.
Many local birds like coppersmith barbet, kites, parrots, mynas, and brainfever birds were seen lots of times. These birds live in the college area all year round and seem to be doing well even though the environment is changing.
This bird count was part of a big world-wide program called The Great Backyard Bird Count. The students learned a lot while counting birds and helped make a list that scientists can use to understand how birds are doing in cities.
The students worked very carefully to count each bird they saw. They used their phones to note down what they saw, making sure their count was correct. This helped them collect good information about the birds.
Finding 81 different types of birds shows that the college campus is a good home for many birds. But seeing fewer birds of some types than last year tells us we need to take better care of our environment to help these birds survive.
The survey adds to Pune’s education scene with students gaining hands-on experience in environmental research.
