Bird Festival of Goa,2016
Celebrating Avifaunal Biodiversity
The State of Goa nestled in Western ghats in the east and Arabian Sea to its west is synonymous the world over as a tourist destination drawing people in droves from far and near to explore its serenity, the wide expanse of pristine beaches and resorts stretching from north to south over a coastline that is 105 km long. The Western ghats constitute one of the 25 mega biodiversity hot spots in the world and by virtue of its location, the State represent a unique confluence of two diverse ecosystems, one influenced by marine environment and the other by the terrestrial forests resulting in astonishing diversity of species with high endemism, habitats and diversity.
Around 1250 sq km of the State’s geographical area of 3702 sq km is comprised of forests that range from evergreen & semi-evergreen vegetation seen in patches along the high altitude to plateau vegetation of deciduous or leaf shedding species confined to low altitudes. Estuarine vegetation comprising of mangroves characterize the estuaries. These forests shelter the biodiversity which manifests itself either as giant Matti (Terminalia crenulata), the State tree or a tiny blood sucking leech to Southern bird wing butterfly or a small green bee-eater to king cobra or the tiger all trudging merrily through the State’s wilderness. 20% of the geographical area of State is constituted into Wildlife Protected Areas (WLPAs) spread over 755 sq km that we know as Sanctuaries and National Park. While the stroll or drive through the WLPAs provides chance encounters with wildlife, it is time well spent even amidst the peace and quiet of dense forests. Goa has 6 sanctuaries and 1 national park. The names of sanctuaries are Bhagwan Mahaveer, Madei, Netravali, Cotigao, Bondla and Salim Ali while the name listed first also denotes a national park in the State. The Bison aka Gaur(Bos gaurus) is the State animal while the Ruby throated yellow bulbul(Pycnonotus gularis) has the distinction of being the State bird.
The first Bird festival of Goa is scheduled to be held from 11th to 13th of November,2016 with the main objective of celebrating our Avifaunal biodiversity. India is home to around 1224 species of birds while the State of Goa has reported as many as 432 species of birds that inhabit its forests, wetlands and coastal habitats. There are several identified birding hotspots in the State numbering almost 100 where significant species diversity has been recorded.
The main venue of the bird festival shall be Bondla and the participants shall be taken on conducted nature/bird watching trails in Bondla and Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuaries & National Park on the first 2 days. The third day shall involve visit to birding sites at Carambolim and Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, Chorao.
Wildlife Film Festival
As part of the Bird Festival, a parallel event to screen films on Wildlife shall be held from November 11th to 13th at the auditorium of Goa Science Centre, Miramar, Panaji.National and international titles shall be screened for the benefit general public. Entry to the event will be free to all. Special screenings for school students are also being planned. The details shall be uploaded in the website.
For more details : http://www.forest.goa.gov.in/birdfestival/