The Pune Bird Atlas: Making Them Count

Imagine you are on the busy streets of Swargate, the central bus stand in Pune city. You may see a few old trees, or trees with lopped branches or crowns, and much construction activity for the upcoming metro station and flyover. Would you spare a thought for the many birds that make this bustling place their home? What if I said you don’t need to travel hundreds of kilometres from the city to watch birds? And that you’ll find enough surprises if you carefully observe your neighbourhood?

Birders of Pune came together to map the birds in their neighbourhoods through a citizen science project called Pune Bird Atlas. The Pune Bird Atlas project drew inspiration from the successful Kerala and Mysore Bird Atlas projects. Both those initiatives demonstrated the power of citizen science to document local birdlife and monitor changes over time. 

Motivation and plan of action

In response to growing urbanisation, the Pune Bird Atlas project was initiated to create baseline data. The project aimed to systematically document the bird species present across the Pune Municipal Corporation, enabling future monitoring of changes in bird diversity, abundance, and habitats. The project started in January 2020, with the aim of surveying birds in the summer (Feb to May) and winter months (Oct to Jan). Through the thick and thin of several waves of the COVID pandemic, the project saw varying yet promising participation from more than 200 citizen scientists. Ecologists, birdwatchers, nature enthusiasts, and casual observers from the city came together to contribute their sightings.

The activities of Pune Bird Atlas are divided into three stages. First is training, where participants are taught to identify birds, use various apps for data collection, and get an introduction to birding protocol. The core team created a gridded map of Pune Municipal Corporation with the smallest survey unit of 1.1 sq km. Citizen Scientists formed teams of 2-7 to survey their vicinities. The second stage is the most exciting — birding. Teams were a mix of experienced birdwatchers and amateurs to ensure credible information. Teams select the grid to be surveyed and record their observations in checklists. Each checklist was time-bound for 15 minutes (observers listed all the birds seen in a 15-minute window), and each grid could have a maximum of four checklists in a season. In addition, they recorded habitat parameters such as the presence of canopies, flowering trees, fruiting trees, water sources, etc., for the respective checklists. The data collection was followed by data analysis and attempts at making sense of what citizen scientists recorded. Automated and assisted data reviews by eBird India and regional reviewers helped ensure the reliability of the data.  

Over five years, citizen scientists surveyed over 77 per cent of the city and documented 200 species of birds with 1,234 checklists, amounting to over 300 hours of birding. This massive effort helped establish a critical foundation for tracking shifts in bird populations over time. It is astonishing that out of 459 species reported in Maharashtra, ~44 per cent occur within Pune city limits (about 200-sq-km). During the Pune Bird Atlas survey, citizen scientists recorded rare (for Pune) birds like the red-necked falcon, European roller, Temminck’s stint, and crested serpent eagle.

The Pune Bird Atlas doesn’t just focus on recording species; it also plays a vital role in identifying hotspots (areas of high bird diversity and high threats). These hotspots may become important areas for conservation, helping guide future efforts to protect key spaces. For instance, Vetal Hill (ARI Hill) recorded 109 species in just a 1.1-sq-km grid. Pashan Lake was another hotspot with 106 observed species. Apart from wooded and wetland habitats, concretised areas like Sun City were at the 100-species count. One-third of the surveyed grids have recorded species richness above 50 species, including busy places like Swargate, Pune Railway Station, Yerwada, and Kothrud. This highlights the variety of birds still surviving in the middle of the expanding metropolis.  

Pune, strategically nestled between the Sahyadri mountain range and the Deccan Plateau, has long been home to a suite of natural ecosystems, ranging from dry deciduous forests to wetlands, lakes, and urban green spaces. These diverse habitats have historically supported great avian diversity, making Pune a rich biodiversity hotspot. However, as the city rapidly grows, many of these ecosystems become fragmented or lost, causing an unnoticed decline in bird populations. The absence of accessible, long-term ecological records in Pune means that many changes in the local birdlife are only recognised in hindsight. As urbanisation spreads, once-familiar birds may gradually disappear from parks, neighbourhoods, and lakes, and the lack of detailed historical data makes it hard to track and quantify what is lost. This quiet erosion of biodiversity underscores the urgency of documenting what remains, which is where the findings from Pune Bird Atlas become significant.

The Findings

Black drongo, common myna, house crow, and house sparrow are present in most parts of the city, and they were the most common birds reported during the surveys. Ninety-five migratory bird species were also observed, 68 with no strict habitat preference, and 44 wetland-associated. The majority of the species (86) feed on invertebrates, followed by birds that are omnivores and carnivores (60 species). The presence of waterbodies and fruiting and flowering trees increases bird diversity and reminds us of the importance of rivers and lakes in the city for both residents and migratory birds.

Due to limitations, some areas, such as military cantonments, were excluded from the surveys. There were no nocturnal birding sessions; hence, it is likely that some species of owls and nightjars were not reported in the bird lists. Due to high participation from the western part of the city, it was more consistently surveyed.  

Beyond birdwatching

Beyond the scientific data it generates, the Pune Bird Atlas is also a powerful tool for engaging the community. Citizen science provides an opportunity to streamline people’s interest in local biodiversity, creating a sense of connection with the environment around them. As people observe and report bird sightings, they begin to develop a deeper understanding of the species that inhabit their city, fostering a greater appreciation for wildlife. Ayan Watve (11) was the youngest citizen scientist. Along with his mother and elder brother Abeer, he surveyed birds. He continued his curiosity about birds and secured a scholarship for an ornithology programme organised at IISER-IIT Tirupati. This young brother-duo continues to inspire others through bird awareness sessions for kids. Maria, a homoeopathic practitioner, says that she found her birding buddies through this project, and they extended their birding beyond this project. Dr Pankaj Koparde of MIT-WPU uses citizen science to inculcate curiosity and scientific rigour among his students. The participants also contributed to a regional newspaper with articles on birds in the neighbourhood. Prachee Joeg, a psychologist, has been a consistent contributor from the Mohammad Wadi area and understands the benefits of birding on mental health.  

With its focus on citizen engagement, the Pune Bird Atlas also fostered a sense of community responsibility for the environment. Participants, from schoolchildren to elderly birdwatchers, are learning first-hand about the importance of biodiversity and the role each individual can play in protecting it. The project also encourages a broader dialogue about urban sustainability, urging local authorities and developers to consider biodiversity while making decisions about the city’s growth.

Individuals engaging with the project contribute to a broader environmental advocacy movement. This growing network of citizen scientists plays a key role in raising awareness about the impacts of urbanisation and fostering a sense of responsibility for the city’s biodiversity. By streamlining people’s interests and empowering them to act as advocates for nature, the Pune Bird Atlas is a case study to build a collective voice that can speak out for protecting wildlife and green spaces in Pune. Such periodic assessments of birds and other biodiversity become valuable when mega-development projects are making frequent headlines in the city.