Amritsar Bird Club roots for avian tourism

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 17

Exploring the avian species in the region and actively engaging volunteers to save them from increasing environmental dangers, the Amritsar Bird Club (ABC) was constituted last year. Since then, the nine-month old association of volunteers and wildlife conservators, it has been able to document and capture the avian life and its challenges, due to absence of any conservatories or eco trails through community-initiated programmes.

Focussed not just on bird-watching excursions, the club activities also include rescuing bird species and providing them a natural habitat in forests or marshlands. “Our on season activities include profiling and documenting bird species that migrate to Harike marshlands as well as organising avian excursions for bird lovers. The off-season activities include spreading awareness regarding those species, through wildlife photography exhibitions, rescue and rehabilitation of bird species and plantation. Our teams had carried out extensive research, capturing bird species at Harike marshlands and other parts of the

state,” said Gunbir Singh, chairman, WWF-India, Punjab chapter, and a member of the bird club.

The club has formed a network with prominent and aspiring wildlife photographers from the region and has already carried out some excursions at Harike. “Much has been accomplished during the offsets on along the banks of the Beas by our volunteer member, Sandeep, in the Hoshiarpur zone by Arvie Vaid and some local interesting action by a young lad, Nikhil, who is also the youngest of our members,” says Gunbir Singh.

“There are approximately 450 bird species across the state and 250 in our region. Engaging wildlife

photographers and birders for the research has created quite an impact,” says Puneet Watts, one of the members of the bird club. Currently, the volunteers are on a recce for eco trails, carrying  out nature excursions and also encouraging bird watching as a tourism-friendly activity. “There are many areas, especially on the city periphery, where a good variety of avian species are found. For instance, the breeding season for some of the stork species has begun and they are found in abundance near the Beas basin. So, we organise excursions for students and bird lovers in order to educate them about these species,” he says. 

During the kite flying season, the ABC volunteers also rescue birds injured due to Chinese strings. “We had recently rescued an owl, who was injured due to the string and with collaboration of the SPCA, we return them safely to their natural habitat,” said Puneet.