Here’s high quality news for bird watchers. Officials of the Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) have confirmed a hike in the bird count in the forest this year. The Second Buxa Bird Festival which was observed in the BTR forest from 6 to 9 January documented more birds than the previous year.
A total of 127 birds were documented in the First Buxa Bird Festival which was observed last year. Birdwatchers documented 138 species of birds from the 514 check-list in the BTR this year, sources said. “A bunch of 38 enthusiastic birdwatchers from across the country took part in the Second Buxa Bird Festival where we documented 138 species of birds.
The success will surely promote the forest as a perfect destination for bird tourism,” said Deputy Field Director of the BTR, Kalyan Rai. The location of the bird festival inside the forest played a crucial role in making the festival a success.
NGOs, bird watchers and forest officials had pitched their tents in the Buxa Duar area on the Buxa Hills under the BTR forest, Mr Rai added. The birdwatchers were divided into four groups. NGO activists and forest officials helped them prepare the check-list of the birds they found and marked in the forest, sources said.
“The Buxa Bird Festival was a hit this year. The fest will surely promote the BTR as the best place for birdwatching in the state. It will also generate income sources for people living near the forests,” said the programme co-coordinator of the Himalayan Nature and Adventure Foundation (HNAF), Animesh Basu.
The Buxa Tiger Reserve forest which is also known as ‘The heaven of birds,’ is home to more than 350 species of birds. The convergence of the plains and hills in the BTR draws a large variety of wildlife. The festival marks the only bird festival in the state, completely funded and initiated by the state forest department.