A decade of bird-watching confirms a naturalist's worst fears-birds are leaving the city of Mumbai

A decade of bird-watching confirms a naturalist's worst fears-birds are leaving the city of Mumbai. While teams of bird-watchers spotted 277 species during the first edition of the annual Mumbai Bird Race in 2005 and 283 the following year, the numbers have fallen to 249 in 2013. The tenth edition of the bird race will be held in and around the city on Sunday. Data gleaned during the event over the last decade shows a 20% decline in the average number of species spotted at Karnala Bird Sanctuary, on the outskirts of the city. A combination of data collected from the bird race as well as from three separate bird surveys since the 1980s show a 35% dip in the frequency of bird sightings at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park since the 1980s.

Source: The Times of India, 31 January 2014
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2014-01-31/mumbai/46869688_…