Kerala Bird Atlas (KBA) was an ambitious citizen science project to map the distribution and abundance of birds in an entire Indian state for the first time. A group of birdwatchers, in 2015, took up the challenge as a five-year activity. Around 34 organizations, including NGOs (WWF India's Kerala State Office and many others), government departments, and many individual experts, supported the program. As many as 850 Volunteers from across Kerala and neighbouring states contributed their time and effort to this pioneering project.
The Bird Atlas gave insights into the plentitude of the common birds of the area, which was mainly lacking earlier. By repeating the process, it would be possible to scientifically document changes in the distribution and abundance of our birds over a given time. This has vast implications on nature conservation as birds are perfect indicators of changing ecological conditions.
The KBA process began in 2015 and got completed in 2020. During this period, bird surveys were conducted twice a year, covering two seasons: mid-July to mid-September (wet season) and mid-January to mid-March (dry season). Kerala has divided into grids of size 6.6 x 6.6 km. Each grid was divided into four quadrants of size 3.3 x 3.3 km, and each quadrant into nine sub-cells of size 1.1 x 1.1 km.
The bird-watching teams sampled one randomly selected sub-cell in every quadrant in Kerala (roughly 10% sampling). Each sub-cell had four 15 minutes travelling lists of all species counted/ estimated, and it was uploaded in the online citizen science portal eBird.
The teams covered all habitat types inside a sub-cell between 6.00 to 10.00 am and 4.00 to 6.00 pm. Apart from birds, the Volunteers also reported the presence/ absence of standing or flowing water bodies, fruiting fig trees and invasive plants like Lantana Camara, Eichhornia crassipes, Salvinia molesta, Mikania micrantha etc. In the political map of Kerala, which spans over 38,863 km², 4324 sub-cells (locations) got surveyed for a 1-hour effort, twice a year.
A K Sivakumar, Senior Education Officer, WWF India, Kerala State Office, coordinated the Atlas in Thiruvananthapuram district. At first, all the birding experts from Thiruvananthapuram and neighbouring communities were invited for a brainstorming session. Post that, the birders were added to an online chat group. The schedule for birding activities was regularly updated here.
The program was formally inaugurated on 23rd July 2016 by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Social Forestry), Mr C. S. Yalakki, in the function in the Kowdiar Palace Thiruvananthapuram. The palace grounds, situated in the heart of the Capital City, has a good green cover and is an abode for many bird species, including forest species.
The program was formally inaugurated on 23rd July 2016 by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Social Forestry), Mr C. S. Yalakki, in the function in the Kowdiar Palace Thiruvananthapuram. The palace grounds, situated in the heart of the Capital City, has a good green cover and is an abode for many bird species, including forest species.
The key findings from the Bird Atlas of Kerala are:
1. 229 species were reported (Dry season: 217, Wet season: 167)
2. The most common species were White-cheeked Barbet, House Crow & Common Mynah
3. Forty-seven species are Western Ghats endemics
4. Nine species are Near Threatened (IUCN Status)
5. Eight species are Vulnerable (IUCN Status)
6. Approximately 74% of sub-cells had one or more invasive plants Mikania micrantha was the most commonly reported species. About 16% of sub-cells did not have any of the four invasive plant species looked out for during the survey.
During the survey (in both forest and non-forest cells), many interesting observations were made, which were recorded for the first time in Kerala. (https://malabarnhs.in/articles/2020/03/19/misguided-courtship-feeding-in-pied-cuckoos-clamator-jacobinus/).
Another statement was of the communal roosting of White-cheeked barbets. The team found around 28 Barbets roosting on a single tree in the suburbs of Varkala Town, which was very remarkable because, unlike Starlings or Crows, these birds are usually not seen roosting together. The findings have been published in the major print media throughout the Atlas period.
The field team had an adventurous time during the Atlas. The surveys in the forest cells were incredibly challenging in many ways. The Kerala Forest Department staff were very much helpful during the whole exercise. Many teams encountered hardships and personal risks, especially during the wet season. Some of the forest cells on top of the Agastyamala were rendered entirely inaccessible. The floods of 2018 made the surveys particularly challenging, as the accessibility to forest cells were difficult, and the visibility was also poor. During the dry season, many teams came face to face with wild Elephants in the forest cells, and some of these encounters were riddled with significant personal risks. It was only due to the seasoned team members' diligence and timely intervention and the forest staff that casualties were avoided. The birders (as we call ourselves) sure have a lot of stories, some funny and others gruesome, that are etched forever in our memories which we will proudly talk about for the rest of our lives.
