GBBC -Great Backyard Bird Count (CBC - Campus Bird Count) at Sikkim Govt. College, Namchi, South Sikkim, Sikkim on 18th February 2023

Before Event Synopsis:
GBBC program at the college campus of Sikkim Govt College, Namchi on 18th February 2023 organized by Bird Count India and simultaneously powered by eBird India, Birdwatchers’ Society, Sikkim Birds.

Acknowledgments:
We are grateful to the principal sir Mr. Deepak Tiwari and HOD Zoology - Assistant Prof. Miss. Jacinta Sharma, Assistant Prof. Miss Ananta Rai (Zoology), and Assistant Prof. Dr. Kamal Poudyal (Zoology) for their thorough cooperation in organizing this awareness drive for bird watching amongst the college students of Sikkim Govt. College, Namchi. It is worth mentioning the name of Mr. Nosang Muringla Limboo, (Joint Sec. of SKM, Students’ Wing) without whose reference and support this bird-walk and awareness event couldn’t have happened prosperously.

About GBBC:
The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is an annual event that brings bird enthusiasts, students, and nature enthusiasts together to watch and count birds they see around the places where they live, work, or study. This year's event will take place from 17th to 20th February 2023, and is open to everyone, regardless of age or experience. In 2022 GBBC, India stood second in terms of the number of checklists uploaded, behind the United States, and third in terms of the number of species reported, behind Colombia and Ecuador.

About CBC:
Campuses are expected to take part in the sister event Campus Bird Count – CBC, an effort to monitor birds that make their home on educational and institutional campuses. Outside protected areas such as
national parks and wildlife sanctuaries such habitats are becoming increasingly important for our wildlife. Students and teachers from over 100 campuses across India register for this event every year. In India, the GBBC is coordinated by Bird Count India, an umbrella group of many birding, nature, and conservation organizations.

From Sikkim, the Bird Count India’s GBBC state coordinator is Mr. Dibyendu Ash; who has been conducting bird walks and bird awareness programs across north-east India for the last 12 years. Dibyendu Ash is the founder of GoingWild LLP (a nature wildlife tour operator from Kolkata, since 2012), a full-time bird guide of Sikkim Birds (A commercial venture to conduct bird-watching tours in Sikkim); an active member of BWS (Birdwatchers’ Society), an active member of BNHS (Bombay Natural History Society) and volunteer member of HEAL (Human Nature Alliance League).

Further details of which are available at https://www.sikkimbirds.com/post/great-backyard-bird-countsikkim-february-2023 and https://birdcount.in/event/gbbc/. The basic activity is to list all bird species seen/ heard at a particular location over a period of 15 minutes or more, at any time during the four days, and upload the list to the bird recording platform eBird www.ebird.org/india. This can be repeated as often as possible.
More information about the GBBC, Campus Bird Count, and other associated events in India can be found at www.birdcount.in. The Global GBBC is organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society in the USA.

About Sikkim Birds:
Sikkim Birds was founded by a lady entrepreneur of Sikkim – Mrs. Nisha Sharma Dhungel to provide logistics specializing in Bird Watching Tour conduction. Apart from the commercial venture, a part of the profit is used for philanthropic activities like forest surveys, and wildlife awareness drives in the state. For the past four years since 2019, GBBC is partly sponsored by this organization. Read about Sikkim Birds at www.sikkimbirds.com

About Bird Count India:
Bird Count India is a consortium of organizations and groups working together to increase our collective knowledge about bird distributions and populations. The partnership conducts periodic bird-related events and activities offers support and resources to birding groups for running their own events and provides information on bird monitoring. Read about Bird Count India at www.birdcount.in

After Event Synopsis:
Program:
The program consisted of a bird-walk and seminar in the Zoology Department classroom. The Bird walk took 45 minutes around the college campus and the seminar was for 1 hour. The interaction with students and their whole-hearted participation made the CBC (Campus Bird Walk) on the College campus of Sikkim Govt. College Namchi in South Sikkim, Sikkim was very much more worthwhile. The event ended with the certificate distribution among the participating students.

The Bird List:
Bird lists from the bird walk around the college campus:

1. https://ebird.org/checklist/S128631478
2. https://ebird.org/checklist/S128631460

Bird lists in the morning and later just above the college campus by Dibyendu Ash from Namchi College Road.

1. https://ebird.org/checklist/S128618914
2. https://ebird.org/checklist/S128631386
3. https://ebird.org/checklist/S128632297

Image Gallery:


As greeted by faculty member Assistant Prof. Miss Ananta Rai (Zoology Dept.)

State GBBC Coordinator Mr. Dibyendu Ash giving a presentation to Sikkim Govt. College, Namchi in Zoology department

The Basics of Birdwatching and How to Start with

With the students and faculty members in Zoology Department Classroom

Birdwalk as conducted around the college campus

Certificate distribution amongst the student at the end

The Seminar Presentation & The list of participating students during the seminar and the bird walk at the Namchi Govt College Campus:
As attached in a separate copy. Shared with HOD (Zoology) Prof. Mrs. Jacinta Sharma
The list of participating students during the seminar and the bird walk at the Namchi Govt College Campus are present with HOD (Zoology) Prof. Mrs. Jacinta Sharma

Contact:
Email: info@sikkimbirds.com 
Web: www.sikkimbirds.com 
WhatsApp: 9681417974 / 7003389381