Bird census in Gujarat 

Gujarat birds will now make a presence on a map of the state. The Gujarat forest Department has decided to mark the presence of Gujarat’s wings visitors and conduct its census. The department has begun its biggest bird census and seabirds and other birds frequenting 1,650 km will be counted. This is for the first time that Gujarat forest department is conducting the bird survey. It will take place across 16 districts including coastal districts with major wetlands.  The officials informed that so far the department had confined its bird count to coastal wetlands while ignoring the huge number of winged visitors that reside in and around the seashore. As per the report in the Times of India a forest official pointed out that the map showing bird presence in the state, will allow the department to properly plan for conservation of the birds, as locations and associated bird counts would be known with accuracy. Accordingly, better deployment of security and other measures could be taken. Each site frequented by birds is recorded with the help of GPS devices which helped the officials to prepare the map. Around 160 birds species are found in wetlands and 130 have been found in Gujarat with majority located in Kutch.  Gujarat currently has the second-highest count of winged visitors after Odisha, which has over two million birds visiting every year. Officials, however, said the state might be in the second position only because seabirds and birds in coastal areas of the state had never been included in census.