Goa bird festival to offer pelagic avian tour

The second edition of the Goa Bird Festival will be held from January 12 to 14 at Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary, Canacona.

The State Forest department is organising the event with the support of Goa Tourism, the Goa Bird Conservation Network (GBCN) and Birderpics.com, said Ajai Saxena, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests. Oceanic bird tours would be on offer.

Goa is said to have over 440 species of birds out of over 1,200 in the country. Some of the birds are endemic to the region as the State offers a unique confluence of two diverse ecosystems — tropical forests and marine, said Mr. Saxena.

The festival will host some of the country’s top naturalists, photographers and artists as resource persons.

Bird walks are being planned with experts and guides in Cotigao and the adjoining Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary.

The oceanic birds tour will be on the Arabian Sea.

Vibhu Prakash, scientist, Bombay Natural History Society will deliver the keynote address on conservation of vultures.