40 international birders to take part in the UP bird festival

Agra: Famous birdwatcher Tim Appleton will be among 40 international ornithologists participating in Uttar Pradesh’s first bird festival from December 4-6. Appleton is a co-founder of the British Birdwatching Fair that first took place in 1989 at Rutland. More than 100 Indian experts are also expected to be a part of the event. Some other bird watchers and ornithologists taking part are Jim Lawrence, Pamela Rasmussen, Carol Inskeep, Per Alstrom, Martin Kelsey, Asad rahmani, Bikram Grewal, Dhananjai Mohan, Nikhil Devarsar and Craig Jones.It will be hosted at Chambal Safari Lodge.
Close to 100 species of birds and some 80 migratory visitors are expected to be seen. Birdwatching session have been scheduled between 6 am to 10 am. Visitors will also be given guided tours of black buck safari, Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary and Etwah wetlands.
UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav will also participate in the event on December 5 and is expected to launch a coffee table book called ‘Birds of UP’. District magistrate Pankaj Kumar said the event has been organized to promote eco-tourism and make the state an international bird watching destination. “Plans are also on to make the event an annual affair. But, that will require more public participation,” said Kumar.
RP Singh, owner of the Chambal Safari Lodge, said, “Besides promoting eco-tourism, efforts are also made to conserve and protect rare birds. Many of them are on verge of extinction and events such as these will spread awareness. UP is home to nearly 330 species of resident and migratory birds. We are hoping to spot at least 100-150 of them during the three-day event.”
Some specially designed tents have been put up for the guests. An exhibition of photo gallery will also be organized. School kids have also been invited to be a part of the event.