In a first, survey in protected areas of Gujarat on January 24-25 to find status of ‘birds of prey’

One of the lead organisers of the initiative is Devvratsinh Mori, an ornithologist at Ahmedabad University. (File photo)

With an objective of understanding the population status and conservation needs of raptors in Gujarat, a survey will be conducted across the protected areas of the state on January 24-25.

The first-ever such survey of the ‘birds of prey’ in Gujarat will be conducted by the Birds Conservation Society of Gujarat (BCSG) in collaboration with the State Forest Department and Raptor Network India, an informal group of people working on raptors.

Speaking about the initiative, Mori says, “Currently, there is no baseline study on raptors in Gujarat. A number of raptor species come to Gujarat in the winter season from places such as Russia, Africa, Europe etc. But there is no authentic document available on the exact number of species, their numbers, distribution, abundance etc. So we have taken up this initiative on raptors.”

“The initiative is a long-term one. And in the first year, we are going to do the survey on raptors in all the 26 Protected Areas (PAs) in the state,” says Mori, who is also a member of the Gujarat State Board for Wildlife (GSBWL).

According to Mori, they will plan a statewide survey on raptors next year. Renowned raptor expert Vibhu Prakash is also among the principal organisers of the initiative.

For the exercise, the organisers are forming a team of 180 persons who will carry out the survey in a scientific method. Each team will have 2-4 members.

On the first day, in the evening of January 24, the teams will visit identified roosting sites in the protected areas to carry out the count. On January 25, the survey teams will follow a defined road transit to carry out the survey and record the details in a file.

The organisers will also be holding workshops for the people who will be participating in the two-day survey. The preparations for the survey have been on for the past six months.

Once the survey is completed, Mori says, we will have an estimated number of resident and migratory raptor species in Gujarat.

Some of the expected outcomes of the survey include a baseline map of raptor distribution across the state, identification of important raptor areas and gaps in conservation and public engagement and awareness around raptor protection.

Considering the survey as significant, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) of Gujarat Forest Department Jaipal Singh said, “No comprehensive survey has ever been done (on raptors in Gujarat). So, it will definitely be a good initiative. We will come to know about different species, their interaction, areas of their concentration etc in the state.”