KERALA BIRD RACE 2015 -Invitation

Dear Friends,

The Kerala Bird Race-2015 is on 6th December(Sunday) .It is in  the 9th year of running now.All our birding friends are invited to take part in it.

As in previous years it is a dawn to dusk birding event.You are free to do birding in any place you have access and have bird abundance...You may form a team of 3-4 people and do birding from early morning till evening.You should upload the checklist/s  on to eBird  website:-



http://ebird.org/content/india/


You may submit checklist in duration of 15 minutes each..


After a hectic day of birding we assemble in the evening to share our experience with each other followed by a  sumptuous dinner.

As in previous years the event is sponsored by HSBC Bank and coordinated by Yuhina Ecomedia of Mumbai.


All are encouraged to participate in the programme. Please register with me at:- 


 Mobile : 9446437410 (WhatsApp or SMS )

 eMail  : cochinnaturalhistorysociety@gmail.com


Warm regards,


Vishnu

CNHS Exhibition

Press Report in Mathribhoomi-CNHS Exhibition

CNHS Photo Exhibition Invitation

CNHS MEMBERS` PHOTO EXHIBITION-GUIDELINES

                     Guidelines for Nature Photo Exhibition by Members

            Date of exhibition: 03^rd to 07^th Oct. 2015

a.      The exhibition will be under the banner of CNHS.

b.      Nature and wildlife photographs incl.Birds, Butterflies and other animals etc., can be exhibited. The pictures must have been taken from Kerala or Western Ghats region.

c.       Maximum 10 photos can be exhibited by a Member.

d.      Members to showcase their best photographs.

e.      Rarity of a Species or Endemic/Endangered status (Conservation Status) can be a criterion for inclusion.

f.        Photo depicting any peculiar behavior also maybe a criterion for inclusion.

g.      General Ethics of Nature and Wildlife Photography to be followed(no nesting photographs of birds)

h.      Post Processing/Phtoshopping may be minimal.

i.        A good short description of the photograph to be included (with technical data, species name and other basic biological/behavioral information as well as location, date etc., must be given).

j.        Minimum size of photograph maybe 12” X 18” .Maximum size maybe decided by the exhibitor.

k.      Photograph should be sharp and technically good- well exposed.

l.        Compositional rules maybe followed to enhance presentation of photograph.

m.    Photographs must be delivered ready for exhibition with 2” border of 18% grey color and mounted on board or framed as the case maybe.

n.      Please confirm your participation latest by 10^th September either by replying to this mail cochinnaturalhistorysociety@gmail.om  or by telephone/ WhatsApp message along with the number of photos you wish to exhibit.

o.      We will inform you the last date for submission of photographs and more instructions later.

Malayalam Names of the Birds in Kerala

The compilation Malayalam names of the birds seen in Kerala are available in this link with their common english names:-


Click Here to the Page

Onam Bird Count 2015 (August 28-31)

Nature and Birdlife Photo Exhibition by CNHS

Bird Count India-Update on Birding Challenge

Dear All

Here is the update on BirdCountIndia Birding challenge for May:-



Here is the general information:-


Many CNHS members are actively participating in these and are toppers also like Anish Aravind and Premchand Reghuvaran 

Wayanadu Wildlife Sanctuary-Bird Survey- 2015

Dear All,


A Bird Survey in the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is planned for 10th April to 13th April 2015 by the state forest department. Those who are interested to participate in the survey may please contact in the following address. participants will be selected on first come first basis. Selected participants have to arrive on 10th April morning and may leave one 13th afternoon.

The Wayand Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the bird rich habitat in kerala and the only habitat where the remaining population of vultures survive in Kerala. The Sanctuary is also one of the best tiger habitat in south India.

For participation and details please write to ck.vishnudas@gmail.com
phone 9447544603 ( between 10 am and 6pm)

Vishnu
for
CNHS

Common Bird Monitoring Programme 2015-Announcement

Dear all,

 Kerala Common Bird Monitoring Program is back this year.

Dates: 13-16 February 2015
Who can participate ?  Any bird enthusiast who will be in Kerala during these dates.

Where to participate ? Anywhere in Kerala - it could be at your home, school, college or work place.

How to participate ?  Watch birds for atleast for 15 minutes and note down all the species seen and upload it in www.ebird.org

Whom to ask for more information ? Respective district coordinators. Please see below link.

More Details for Participating:  Please visit here

http://www.birdcount.in/events/kerala-cbmp/

A Presentation on how to use eBird
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1UCSaP-GlyOPW5WdEiluZvZ5dh9mJrU7QVdM3eOrnfwo/edit#slide=id.p12

Warm Regards,

Vishnu

Wetland Bird Count (AWC)- 2015

 Cochin Natural History Society and Kerala Forest Department (Social Forestry Division) are conducting the Wetland Bird Count-2015 at the major wetlands of Ernakulum such as Kadamakkudy and Devaswom Padam (Varapuzha), Kandakkadavu, Kalathara and Kuthirakoor Kari (Thoppumpady) this weekend. The Wetland Bird Count is being conducted as part of the Asian Waterfowl Census. The census has three major objectives:-
 to obtain information on an annual basis of water bird populations at wetlands in the region during the non-breeding period of most species (January), as a basis for evaluation of sites and monitoring of populations;
 to monitor on an annual basis the status and condition of wetlands; and
 to encourage greater interest in water birds and wetlands amongst people, and 
thereby promote the conservation of wetlands and water birds in the region.

The AWC is an annual event that takes place once a year, during the second and third week of January. The census was initiated in 1987 in the Indian subcontinent, and has grown rapidly to cover most countries of South Asia, East Asia, South East Asia and Pacific, as well as Russia Far East.
Waterbirds have been defined as “species of bird that are ecologically dependent on wetlands”. This is the definition used by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. For the purposes of the International Waterbird Census, all species in the following families are considered by Wetlands International to be waterbirds: Podicipedidae (Grebes), Pelecanidae (Pelicans), Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants), Anhingidae (Darters), Ardeidae (Herons) Ciconiidae (Storks), Threskiornithidae (Ibises and Spoonbills), Phoenicopteridae (Flamingos), Anatidae (Ducks, Geese and Swans), Gruidae (Cranes), Rallidae (Rails, Gallinules and Coots), Jacanidae (Jacanas), Rostratulidae (Painted Snipes), Dromadidae (Crab Plover), Haematopodidae (Oystercatchers), Ibidorhynchidae (Ibisbill), Recurvirostridae (Stilts and Avocets), Burhinidae (Thick-knees), Glareolidae (Coursers and Pratincoles), Charadriidae (Plovers), Scolopacidae (Sandpipers,Snipes and Phalaropes), Laridae (Gulls), Sternidae (Terns) and Rynchopidae (Skimmers).

Waterbirds counted during the census in India include all species of grebes, cormorants, pelicans, herons, egrets, storks, ibises, spoonbills, flamingoes, ducks, geese, swans, cranes, rails, jacanas, shorebirds (waders), gulls, terns, and raptors (birds of prey) normally associated with wetlands. Count data is entered onto standardized count forms.

This is one of the largest scientific data gathering programmes utilizing Citizen Volunteers. The census takes place every year in over 100 countries with the involvement of around 15,000 counters, most of whom are volunteers. More than half the effort is concentrated in Europe, but involvement in other parts of the world has increased markedly since 1990. Between 30 million and 40 million waterbirds are counted each year around the world, and details of the counts and the sites where they take place are held on the newly upgraded, state-of-the-art IWC database. The IWC is thus by far the most globally extensive and one of the longest running biodiversity monitoring programme in the world.

The rationale behind waterbird monitoring was summarized eloquently by Matthews (1967) at the time when international coordination of waterbird counting was beginning: “...while man is recklessly unleashing new insults on his environment, background monitoring of populations is essential to detect the threats as they develop and before they become catastrophes apparent to all”.

Waterbirds are well-known indicators of the quality of certain types of wetlands. A powerful tool which makes use of this characteristic is the so-called 1% criterion, whereby any site which regularly holds 1% or more of a waterbird population qualifies as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. The 1% criterion has been adopted by the European Union to identify Special Protection Areas (SPAs) under the Birds Directive. It is also used by Birdlife International in the identification of Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in wetlands throughout the world. 

Standardized monitoring of Arctic breeding species and species dependent on inter-tidal habitats is even more important in the light of human induced climate change (Houghton et al. 2001). Global warming is expected to have especially pronounced effects on tundra and other Arctic environments, and, through sea level rise, on intertidal habitats (Boyd & Madsen 1997). Waterbird monitoring will play a significant future role in monitoring the effects of these changes on the millions of waterbirds which depend upon these habitats.

Cochin Natural History Society has been coordinating this event since 2011.

For participation in the event in Ernakulam please register by calling/sending SMS at 9446437410. Or mail to cochinnaturalhistorysociety@gmail.com


Schedule:
24th January 2015, Saturday Morning
Kalathara, Kandakkadavu and Kuthirakkoor Kari Wetlands (Thoppumpady)

25th January 2015, Sunday Morning 
Kadamakkudy and Devaswom Padam Wetlands (Varapuzha)



Sd/-
Vishnupriyan Kartha
Secretary