9 new species sighted during Campus Bird Count 2024 of Mangalore University

The CBC of the university has so far recorded a total of 162 species since 2016.

In all, 116 species of birds were spotted in and around Mangalore University campus at Mangalagangotri during the ninth annual Campus Bird Count (CBC) conducted recently. Of them, nine species are new additions to the aviation list of the university.

The number of species sighted this year is the highest since the inception of the survey in 2016, according to M. S. Mustak, Chairman, Department of Applied Zoology at the university and N. Narasimhaiah, Assistant Professor at the department. Students Reginald Valdar and Sharanya were co-ordinators of the bird count.

The Eurasian Moorhen, Little ringed plover, Black crowned night heron, Indian blackbird, Crimson-backed sunbird, Wood sandpiper, Streaked-throated swallow, Black-winged stilt and Bronze-winged jacana sighted this year are new additions to the campus, they said.

Some of the common birds spotted were Golden oriole, Black drongo, White-throated kingfisher, Purple-rumped sunbird, Plum headed parakeet, Red whiskered bulbul, and Common hawk cuckoo.

Close observation also included the courtship of White-throated kingfisher, mating of Yellow wattled lapwing, and nesting behaviour of Large Cuckooshrike.

Grey wagtail, Booted eagle, Indian pitta, Ashy drongo were the migratory birds sighted. Grey headed bulbul (near threatened), Rufous babbler and Flame-throated Bulbul are the endemic birds of the Western Ghats. In addition, the team sighted the Spotted owlet, Srilankan Frogmouth, Wood owl, and Nightjars (Indian and Jerdon’s), all nocturnal birds. 

The bird count was held from February 16 to 19 as a sub-event of ‘Great Backyard Bird Count’ (GBBC), organised by the Bird Count India. The exercise involved 25 participants, including students, research scholars and faculty members of the university.