Goa to host its first bird festival from November 11

Goa is just a dot on the world map but it is home to five per cent of the worlds birds says Savio Fonseca a birding expert based in Panjim Worldwide bird watching is one of the fastestgrowing tourist activities In the US birdwatching has already overtaken golf as the biggest outdoor activity he says And to think of it Goa is home to more than 450 species he addedFonseca who runs the NGO Bird Institute of Goa is a consultant for the first Bird Festival of Goa which is being jointly promoted by the Goa Forest and Tourism Departments Savio has also coauthored Birds of Goa with Bikram Grewal which released last September Last month he began the process of recruiting and training bird guides Were slowly putting all the components in place First we did the book Now weve started training the guides Next comes the bird festivalThe Pied Kingfisher is a white kingfisher and quite a sight to behold when hunting for fish in rivers and lakes hovering like a helicopter before diving and coming up with its snackHe says the promotion of Goa as a bird watching destination is a winwin situation for all We believe that conservation of the environment can be best done through tourism The bird guides will be from the birdrich areas of interior Goa and giving them employment will not only benefit them financially but motivate them to conserve the areas Visitors will also get to see rare birds some of which can only be seen in this part of IndiaAlthough this is the first time that Goa government agencies are going to market bird watching through the Goa Tourism Development Corporation a number of private agencies and individuals have been conducting tours in recent years as Goas reputation as a birdwatching destination grewThe Osprey is a magnificent migratory bird from the raptor eagle family and lives off fish This one was spotted at the Cumbharjua Canal It has a graceful flight and is a pleasure to watch PicsSavio FonsecaGoa resident Pankaj Lad was an enthusiastic bird watcher and in 2008 converted his hobby into what he terms a major business The number of bird species is quite high for such a small place which is only 3700 sq km Goa though very small is a mix of habitats It allows for a lot of bird diversity in a small area You get to see sea birds shore birds river birds and forest birds etc he saysGoa has the best infrastructure to be a good birding destination compared with other Indian destinations like Bharatpur says Fonseca There is good connectivity to and in Goa All the good birding spots are within one to twohour drive from the coastal areas which have a large number of resorts where tourists can stay Also 40 per cent of Goas land falls under protected forests Fonseca says the certified guides will be in place by the time the Bird Festival rolls out in November and it is only a matter of time before it becomes a popular outdoor activity Were putting all the required components into place so that Goa is ahead of the curve he saysHe dismisses any suggestion that the twoweek duration of the bird guides course is insufficient Were only taking people who are already interested in birds and are familiar with them At the end of the course they have to take an exam Only if they pass it will they be given their certificates Guides are necessary to maintain control ndash visitors should not be disappointed says FonsecaWhile there are birds which migrate over long distances even local birds migrate within a small territory at different times of the year Fonseca says the guides will also help in documenting this movement On every field trip they will keep a log of the birds spotted This will help in monitoring bird movementThe bird festival will be held at a number of spots with the main event being at the Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary mdash a popular spot for bird watching Other events will be held at the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary near Panjim and the Carambolim Lake which is visited by many migratory birds around NovemberThe festival will be the latest addition to the long list of festivals being promoted by Goas Tourism Department in order to keep attracting tourists to Goa throughout the year Besides religious and cultural festivals there are now film music dance literary food bike and yoga festivals The idea is to have a calendar of festivals to attract different types of tourists at various times of the year says Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar So if you were one of those who only went to Goa in December for New Years its time to see Goa in a new way The birds are waitingFest fast factsFor information about the festival which will be held between November 11 and 13 log on to infotechgoacombirdfestival Registration fee Rs 2500The main festival venue is the Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary Participants will be taken on naturebird watching trails in Bondla and Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Park on the first two days The third day will involve visit to birding sites at Carambolim and Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary ChoraoOnce you have registered youcan avail of accommodation at the ecotourism complex at Bondla and MollemCall 0832 2229701 for more details