Poila Baisakh Bird Count 2026 Concludes with Over 400 Species Recorded
The fourth edition of the Poila Baisakh Bird Count, a summer birding event in West Bengal, wrapped up on Sunday, with preliminary reports indicating participants documented more than 400 bird species during the three-day exercise that commenced on April 17. This annual count, organized by the Birdwatchers' Society (BWS) in collaboration with Bird Count India, celebrates the Bengali New Year and the onset of summer by engaging birdwatchers across the state.
Lower Participation and Checklist Numbers Attributed to Elections
This year's event saw a significant drop in participation, with only 410 initial checklists submitted, compared to 775 in the previous year. Kanad Baidya of BWS cited multiple reasons for this decline, primarily the ongoing assembly elections in West Bengal. Many birdwatchers were occupied with poll duties, while others flocked to Patibunia beach in South 24 Parganas to photograph the critically endangered spoon-billed sandpiper, a rare sighting in the state recorded only for the second time since 2018.
Notable absences included participants from Jhargram and South Dinajpur districts. Hiya Chatterjee, a Kolkata-based birder and BWS member who serves as an assistant professor at Swarnamoyee Jogendranath Mahavidyalaya, expressed regret at missing the count due to her responsibilities as a presiding officer for the first phase of polling on April 23. Similarly, Malda's Samiran Jha, a founder-member of BWS, was unable to participate because of poll-related training and restrictions in his district, though he managed some backyard birding.
Key Species and District Highlights
Despite the challenges, birdwatchers recorded several key species, including the green cochoa in Latpanchar, the spoon-billed sandpiper at Patibunia, and the black-tailed gull at Kargil beach, both located in South 24 Parganas. Darjeeling emerged as the top-performing district, with 218 species and 84 checklists, followed closely by South 24 Parganas with 135 species and 78 checklists.
Sujan Chatterjee of BWS highlighted that the event aims to foster community engagement and data collection during the summer season. However, he noted a persistent issue: many birders are not using eBird, an online database for bird records, which may contribute to lower reported numbers. "Participation may be there, but not all are uploading their data on eBird," he explained, suggesting this could skew the overall count results.
Comparative Analysis and Future Outlook
In comparison to previous years, the species count for 2026 stands at over 400, while 2024 and 2025 recorded 544 and 523 species, respectively. This decrease underscores the impact of external factors like elections on citizen science initiatives. The event continues to play a crucial role in monitoring avian biodiversity in West Bengal, with organizers hopeful for increased participation and data submission in future editions, especially as election-related disruptions subside.
