Meet the birders behind Kerala Bird Atlas 2.0
The Kerala Bird Atlas 2.0 is a large-scale citizen science project aimed at monitoring bird populations and environmental health in Kerala. By revisiting survey sites from a decade ago, researchers hope to track the impact of climate change on local biodiversity.
Why it matters
Citizen science initiatives provide critical data for environmental conservation and understanding the ecological shifts caused by climate change.
A drongo might be common, but it is no ordinary bird. Several of the species are accomplished mimics; their imitation of a cat’s meow is nothing short of masterful. The mynah is a brilliant mimic, too, using the skill to connect to their own kind or human friends. These birds do much more than mimicry, for birds, in general, are fascinating.
However, do we know how our drongos and mynas are doing? Are their numbers increasing, or are they struggling to survive? Watching them closely unravels stories about not just their world but also the environment we share with them. Since 2015, birdwatchers across Keralam have been recording wild birds, which culminated in the Kerala Bird Atlas , a comprehensive record of the birds in the State, which was released in 2021.
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