DIRECTOR’S NOTE
“It is a great joy to share the remarkable strides we have made in bird monitoring, conservation, and outreach through various initiatives undertaken in the first quarter of 2024. As we look forward, we remain committed to expanding our monitoring, conservation, and outreach efforts. None of this would be possible without the passion and dedication of our volunteers, partners, and supporters. Thank you for being a part of this journey.” – Ganeshwar S V
SYSTEMATIC BIRD MONITORING AND BIODIVERSITY DOCUMENTATION AT WETLANDS UNDER PROJECT NANNEER
From January to March, the systematic bird monitoring was continued by SOF in wetlands under Project Nanneer. A total of 97, 103, and 95 species (month-wise total species) were recorded at the following kanmais Chettiyan, Vadakudipatti, Kanappettai, Panangudi, and Oonaiyur. All the observations were uploaded to eBird. To view the complete checklists, please click here.
SALEM ANNUAL WETLANDS SURVEY 2024
A total of 135 wetlands of 202 hours of survey and 2,312 km traveled by 14 participants. A total of 10, 711 waterbirds belonging to 47 species were counted. A total of 170 species, 22,865 birds including 36 migrants overall, and 15 high-priority species were identified. We hope to continue the same in the long term as well. To view the complete trip report of SAWS 2024, click here.
PONGAL BIRD COUNT
The Pongal Bird Count (PBC), an initiative of the Tamilbirds network, is an annual bird monitoring program for Tamil Nadu. The tenth edition of the Pongal Bird Count was between 14 and 17, January 2024. A lot of birders across Salem district participated and uploaded all the observations to eBird. Apart from Salem, SOF also covered the Pudukottai & Sivagangai districts. The final data will provide valuable information on the distribution and abundance of the birds of Tamil Nadu.
TN SYNCHRONIZED WETLAND BIRD CENSUS 2024 – ATTUR & NAMAKKAL FOREST DIVISION
On 27 & 28 January 2024, Salem Ornithological Foundation got an opportunity to coordinate the wetland bird census for Namakkal Forest Division. Volunteers took part in the census and collected bird data. All the sightings and observations are uploaded to eBird. To view the trip report, click here. SOF expresses its gratitude to the District Forest Officers, for the opportunity, and to the rangers, foresters, guards, and the entire staff of Attur & Namakkal Forest Division for their wonderful support.
TN SYNCHRONIZED TERRESTRIAL BIRD CENSUS 2024 – ATTUR & NAMAKKAL FOREST DIVISION
On 2 & 3 March 2024, Salem Ornithological Foundation got an opportunity to coordinate the terrestrial bird census at Attur & Namakkal Forest Divisions. Volunteers took part in the census and collected bird data. All the sightings and observations are uploaded to eBird. To view the trip report, click here. SOF expresses its gratitude to the District Forest Officers, for the opportunity, and to the rangers, foresters, guards, and the entire staff of Attur & Namakkal Forest Division for their wonderful support.
WORLD WETLANDS DAY – GHOST NETS CLEAN-UP DRIVE
On 02 February 2024, to celebrate World Wetlands Day and to ensure the safety of birds and other fauna that use the wetlands, SOF organized a ghost nets clean-up drive at Stanley Reservoir–Pannavadi, as part of the World Wetlands Day activity.
OUTREACH (1)
On 09 January 2024, SOF’s Founder and Director, Ganeshwar S V got an opportunity to interact with a set of young kids from G Global School in Tiruchengode, Namakkal. This is one of the most inquisitive bunch that SOF has come across and every single kid was interactive and we had to encounter flocks of questions from all sides. SOF expresses thanks to the school management.
OUTREACH (2)
On 31 January 2024, SOF’s Founder and Director, Ganeshwar S V got an opportunity to present a talk on “Enhancing Biodiversity by Birding”. This was a part of the one-day Sustainable Lifestyle Workshop organized by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and National Green Corps, Salem District under the Environment Education Programme at Jairam Public School, Salem.
TAMIL BIRDERS’ MEET 2024
SOF got an opportunity to be a part of the recently concluded Tamil Birders (1 day) Meet at Bishop Heber College, Tiruchirappalli and we are happy to have met so many birders and enthusiasts from across Tamil Nadu. It was surely a great learning experience for us. We’re thankful to everyone who was a part of this wonderful event.
Presentations by the SOF team
* Introduction to eBird and Merlin by Angeline Mano M
* Identification of Larks, Pipits, and Swallows by Ganeshwar SV
* State of India’s Birds 2023 and MYNA by Ganeshwar SV
For more details, please see Tamil Birders Network
GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT 2024
The thirteenth Indian edition of Great Backyard Bird Count was held from 16 – 19 February 2024. Salem is the World’s No. 1 district in terms of maximum checklists (12,556) uploaded. Angeline Mano M, Ganeshwar S V, Senthil Kumar S, Subramania Siva, and Vadivukkarasi A from SOF are in the World’s Top 10 Rankings by checklists in individual categories. The overall huge numbers by Salem were possible because of the major consistent contribution from Panchayat Union Middle School, Krishnampudur which also ranked World No. 1 in the group category. GBBC bird walks were conducted on all four days across the Salem district in all possible habitats. To see the GBBC 2024 results, click here. To view/download Salem’s GBBC 2024 report, please click here.
GBBC SPECIAL BIRD WALK
On 18 February 2024, SOF decided to lead a special bird walk at Manivilundhan Old Lake. The bird walk was led by Ganeshwar S V and Angeline Mano M from SOF. A total of 20 participants including the local people learned more about wetland birds and the ongoing studies on the breeding biology of a pair of River Tern, ecology, and bird conservation.
LIST OF GBBC BIRD WALKS 2024 – SALEM
| S.No | Date | Name of the Hotspot | Link to the Hotspot |
| 1 | 16 Feb 2024 | Stanley Reservoir–Pannavadi, Mettur | Click here |
| 2 | 16 Feb 2024 | Palar | Click here |
| 3 | 16 Feb 2024 | Needhipuram Lake | Click here |
| 4 | 17 Feb 2024 | Poolavari Lake | Click here |
| 5 | 17 Feb 2024 | Kurumbapatti | Click here |
| 6 | 18 Feb 2024 | Manivilundhan Old Tank | Click here |
| 7 | 18 Feb 2024 | Sarvoy Pudur Big Tank | Click here |
| 8 | 19 Feb 2024 | Kottachedu, Yercaud | Click here |
LIST OF GBBC SCHOOL PARTICIPATION 2024 – SALEM
| S.No | School Name | eBird checklists | No. of participants |
| 1 | Panchayat Union Middle School, Krishnampudur | Click here | 135 |
| 3 | Panchayat Union Middle School, Thalavaipatty | Click here | 48 |
FIRST RECORDS (1)
On 24 March 2024, Ganeshwar S V sighted and recorded the call of Eastern Yellow Wagtail Motacilla tschutschensis at Stanley Reservoir–Pannavadi. This is the first record for the Salem district. To view the complete checklist, click here.
