Red Naped Ibis
Red Naped Ibis
The Project
1 Sq.Km - 79 Bird Species, and Counting
The leafy lanes and by-lanes of Chanakyapuri in central Delhi are the abode of the ‘envoys’ - diplomatic representatives from around the world posted in India. But these very lanes and by-lanes and the vast expanse of green spaces ensconsced within the spacious Embassies and the parks in between, also house an incredible array of ‘winged envoys’ - birds of varying hues and habits. Like their diplomatic counterparts, these winged residents of Chanakyapuri also come in a wide variety, multi-colored and multi-faceted, some permanent residents, and many more peripatetic, calling Chanakyapuri their home for a while before moving on.
This project, undertaken as my ‘Venture’ as part of Class 7 of the Kamalnayan Bajaj Aspen Fellowship, aims to explore and photo-catalogue the winged envoys of Chanakyapuri.
What began as an observation during a morning walk (see my Blog), transformed into a self-challenge and has finally fructified into this online repository.
90% of the birds in this project have been observed and photographed inside or within a 500 m radius of the Ministry of External Affairs’ Residence Complex on Radhakrishnan Marg, Chanakyapuri in New Delhi. 6 species a little farther off around the vistas of North & South Block (my office).
But, this is not bird-watching in its strictest sense.
Observing and appreciating birds is often perceived as a technical exercise. The preserve of 'bird-nerds' who lug around their monstrous cameras and binoculars and head off on the weekend to the nearby waterbody or swamp, looking for fancy looking, vibrantly colored avian wildlife.
A "fantastic-birds-and-where-to-find-them" kind of thing.
Through this project, my objective is to bring the birds home, as it were. Shifting bird watching to bird appreciation. Encouraging looking at birds in our daily settings, near our homes; exploring their sights & sounds, their habits, their diversity and their beauty.
Disclaimer:
This project and the website have been undertaken in the personal capacity of the author. The works represented here including any information, comments, or opinions are personal and not attributable to Government of India or any of its agencies.
About me
I myself am an envoy, a member of Indian Foreign Service in which capacity I too lead a peripatetic life which brings me in close contact with the beauty of this planet, winged or otherwise.
I currently live in Chanakyapuri with my wife Divya, a lifelong partner-in-crime on many a life’s adventure (and whose persistent and loving push is a singular reason why this project has seen the light of the day). Our two kids - Meher and Kabir, - enjoy their Dad showing them his morning ‘catch’ of birds and are growing up as sensitive and ecologically aware citizens of this world.
Amit Narang
Resources & Acknowledgement
Not being a 'professional' bird watcher myself (yet), I have relied on several resources on birds which are now widely available on the internet. These are too many to point to and Google anyway does this job better.
I must however acknowledge Cornell Lab of Ornithology's outstanding ‘Ebird’ and ‘Merlin’ apps which have become the go-to resources for my daily use. Merlin does an amazing job with photo ID and the bird descriptions on this project have been mostly derived from the Ebird collection.
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For a list of recorded bird species in Delhi, 'The Birds of the Delhi area: An annotated checklist' by Amb (Retd.) Sudhir Vyas is a most useful resource.