Indian campuses join nationwide Campus Bird Count
Campuses across India are preparing for the Campus Bird Count in February, with students, teachers and bird enthusiasts documenting species in courtyards, gardens and campus green spaces as part of a nationwide citizen science initiative
Amritpal Singh Sanhotra 
As the global Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) returns between February 13 and 16, campuses across India are gearing up for the Campus Bird Count, a sister event of the GBBC that is unique to India, organised by Bird Count India in collaboration with World Wildlife Fund India and Foundation for Ecological Security.
Asian green bee-eaters. Pic/Garima Bhatia
Building on last year’s engagement, when more than 270 campuses uploaded over 8000 bird lists, campus communities nationwide are once again taking the lead in documenting birds. More than 10,000 people participated in the GBBC in 2025.
A rose-ringed parakeet. PIC/Bhaarat Vyas
From engineering colleges in Pune to architecture programmes in Kerala, from schools in Chhattisgarh to garden campuses in Delhi, from universities in Mizoram to campuses in Gujarat, thousands are monitoring birds in green spaces.
A tricoloured, or black-headed, munia. Pic/Garima Bhatia
Some of these are informal patches —courtyards, heritage groves, and tree-lined pathways — that have emerged as vital habitats beyond protected areas, often the last strongholds of biodiversity in urbanised landscapes.
A brahminy starling. PIC/Bhaarat Vyas
“Taking part in this event inspired my fellow students and me to think about birds, notice them, and even rescue injured ones. It also showed us how documenting the birds on eBird can convert our interest into important information that helps the birdwatching community and scientists in India,” said Siddharth Singh Bawa, a Std XI student from the Doon School, Dehradun.
A zitting cisticola. PIC/Krishna Murty
What is the Great Backyard Bird Count?
A purple sunbird. Pic/Bhaarat Vyas
It is an annual global event that engages bird enthusiasts of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of bird populations. The global GBBC is organised by Cornell University and the Audubon Society in the USA. In India, it is coordinated by Bird Count India, a consortium of 70-plus birding, nature, and conservation organisations.
A lineated barbet. PIC/Subhadra Devi
How to participate
A spotted dove. PIC/Subhadra Devi
Watch birds anywhere on your campus — courtyards, gardens, pathways, or near water bodies — for at least 15 minutes from February 13 to 16. Identify all birds seen or heard and share your sightings using the eBird app.
Birdwatchers in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. PIC/Malyasri Bhattacharya
