Goa to host first Bird Festival in November

The Goa forest department will host the first "Bird Festival" in the coastal state in November, state Environment and Forest Minister Rajendra Arlekar said on Friday.

Addressing a press conference in Panaji, Arlekar said that his ministry was in talks with the state Tourism Ministry, in order to promote avian tourism in Goa, which is home to 432 of the 1,224 bird species found in India.

"This is going to be a first of many bird festivals in Goa, because we have just so much to showcase in terms of bird habitats and Goa is home to nearly a third of all the bird species in the country," Arlekar told reporters.

The bird festival will be held over three days from November 11 to 13 and participants at the event will be treated to bird-watching sessions at the state's numerous wildlife sanctuaries including Dr. Salim Ali bird sanctuary.

The participants will also watch a series of films screened on birds and their habitats, and engage with well known ornithologists who would be conducting technical sessions at the event.

"The Western Ghats constitute one of the richest mega biodiversity hotspots in the world and by virtue of its location, the state represented a unique confluence of two diverse ecosystems; one influenced by marine environment and the other by terrestrial forest," Arlekar said.

--IANS

maya/ask/