Sindhudurg tops Maharashtra in bird count as citizen science takes flight
Sindhudurg: At daybreak in Sindhudurg, the air carries a soft chorus — the distant call of a hornbill, the chatter of barbets, the sudden flutter of wings rising from mist-covered wetlands. Here, where the Western Ghats descend gently into the Arabian Sea, forests, plateaus, lakes, and coastlines meet in a landscape that rewards those who look and listen.
That richness was on full display during the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) 2025. Over three days in mid-February, citizen birders in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district documented between 315 and 428 bird species. While tallies vary slightly across reports, the outcome is clear: Sindhudurg emerged as the state’s top district, far ahead of Pune’s 248 species.
What began a few years ago with a handful of solitary birdwatchers has grown into a collective of 40 dedicated observers. They covered all eight talukas through meticulous surveys, turning a quiet district into a national beacon for biodiversity documentation.
The achievement goes beyond eBird checklists. It shows how citizen science can spotlight an underrated Konkan hotspot at a time when urban sprawl dominates much of the state. From lone enthusiasts to a coordinated movement, Sindhudurg’s birders have mapped a spectacle that is anything but ordinary.
