Day 1 talks : Monitoring Wetland Birds/ Water Birds

Wetland birds/Waterbirds are one of the best bio-indicators due to their visible and easily measurable response to changes in wetland ecosystems. Their high visibility and abundance make them ideal for long-term monitoring to assess ecosystem health. India harbours a diverse range of wetlands that support a rich biodiversity, including a substantial population of migratory and resident birds. In India, while the Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) remains a stronghold in maintaining systematic census data on waterbirds, the inclusion of targeted studies and citizen science data has given a much-needed boost to data-driven and robust conservation actions. This mini-symposium aims to provide an overall view of such waterbird monitoring efforts, which provides crucial information for planning sustainable and effective management actions for future conservation.

Talk title: A decade of monitoring birds of Perur Lake, Coimbatore – An approach to Citizen Science
Speaker: G. Parameswaran, Perur Lake Forum

Talk title: Insights from a decade of Heronry monitoring in Kerala
Speaker: Roshnath Ramesh, Heronry State Coordinator, Kerala Common Bird Monitoring Project

Talk title: Asian Waterbirds Census: India’s Status update
Speaker: Dhruv Verma, Wetland International South-Asia

Talk title: W3 (Winter Waterbird Week) – experiences and lessons from standardised mid-winter monitoring of migratory waterbirds in the EAAF (East Asian Australian Flyway)
Speaker: Yong Ding Li, BirdLife International

Talk title:Long-term monitoring of avifaunal populations of Thane Creek, Mumbai
Speaker: Pranay Khadanga, Bombay Natural History Society

Talk title: Denizens of the whitewaters : monitoring birds in riverine areas in the Indian Himalaya
Speaker: Ankita Sinha, The University of Sheffield, UK