In a first, Bird Festival to be held in the Sunderbans in Feb

KOLKATA: The first-ever Bird Festival will take place in the Sunderbans in February with the aim to create a platform for knowledge-sharing and discussion on the future of conservation of the Sunderban birds. The festival is scheduled to be held from February 7 to 10, 2023.

Sundarban Tiger Reserve (STR) has come together with the South 24-Parganas Forest division to bring to life the 1st Sunderban Bird Festival. The Wildlife wing of the state Forest department will be acting as the guiding star for the initiative.

“Central Asian Flyway which is a major bird migration route in Asia passes over the Sunderbans. This flyway is considered the second most important resting place for birds in the world. There are 20 birds, which needs special attention as per international convention and 10 of these are found here. So, it is extremely important to record their occurrence, distribution, and habitat preferences, which is our main reason for organising such a festival,”Debal Roy, Chief Wildlife Warden, Bengal said.

The Festival is set to take place in Sajnekhali Beat Complex under the Sundarban Tiger Reserve. The participants will be bestowed with the opportunity to record the occurrence of various birds and delve deep into the ecology of the Sunderbans.

The main camping area will be located at Sajnekhali, and the Sunderban Bird Festival will take place across STR and South 24-Parganas Division. Anybody (aged more than 18 years) possessing physical fitness and a profound interest in nature is a perfect fit to be a participant in this festival. There will be room for up to 24 participants, and the selection process will be decided by a screening committee.

Participants, who are ready to register, can do so by clicking the link https://forms.gle/fUXPKv9ReTfLShf68. The details related with the Festival have been made available at the following websites – sundarbantigerreserve.org, west bengal forest.gov.in, wildbengal.com

The Buxa Bird Festival has been held every year since the last few years in Alipurduar district in Bengal.