Kinnaur Bird Festival Takes Wing as Himalayan Bird Count Sweeps Across Himachal
SHIMLA: The high-altitude valleys of Kinnaur have turned into a paradise for bird lovers as the district hosts its first-ever Bird Festival from May 8 to 10, coinciding with the statewide “Himalayan Bird Count 2026” being conducted across all 12 districts of Himachal Pradesh on May 9.
Against the dramatic backdrop of snow-clad mountains, alpine forests and river valleys, birdwatchers, students, researchers, photographers and nature enthusiasts have gathered in Kinnaur not merely to spot birds, but to listen to their songs, understand their fragile habitats and emerge as grassroots campaigners for Himalayan conservation.
The Bird Festival has become the biggest attraction of this year’s Himalayan Bird Count, a citizen-led biodiversity campaign celebrated annually on the second Saturday of May.
Participants across Himachal are recording bird sightings and calls through the eBird mobile application, helping generate crucial scientific data on Himalayan bird populations.
Dr. Amit Kumar said the festival is an effort to connect people, especially youth, with the fragile ecology of the mountains.
“These programmes give people an opportunity to understand the extraordinary biodiversity of the Himalayas.
If youngsters take up birding as a hobby, they stay emotionally connected with nature for years and become natural ambassadors for conservation,” he said.
The Himalayan Bird Count was launched in 2022 by Bird Count India, Bird Conservation Nepal and the Royal Society for Protection of Birds, Bhutan.
The campaign aims to celebrate the Himalayas’ rich bird diversity while drawing attention to the mounting threats posed by climate change, shrinking forests and increasing human pressure.
The Himalayas are home to nearly 10 percent of the world’s bird species, including several rare and endemic Himalayan birds found in dense forests, wetlands, meadows and remote mountain ranges.
Conservationists warn that changes in bird migration, breeding and population patterns are often early indicators of ecological stress in the region.
Regional Bird Count India coordinator Santosh Kumar Thakur said the campaign is not just about counting birds but about rebuilding humanity’s lost connection with nature.
“We must become listeners in the forests again — listening to chirps, songs and warning calls of birds. Birds are nature’s messengers. When their numbers decline, ecosystems begin to collapse silently,” he said.
Across Himachal Pradesh, local birding groups and district coordinators are organising bird walks, awareness drives and interactive sessions in schools and colleges to encourage public participation.
Organisers say every checklist uploaded today is more than a data sheet — it is a small but significant step towards protecting the rapidly changing Himalayan environment.
“Every counted bird is a voice for the Himalayas,” campaigners said, urging people to step outdoors, observe nature closely and become guardians of the mountains’ vanishing biodiversity.
