On October 6th and 8th, 2024, Early Bird and the Ataavi Bird Foundation, in collaboration with local partners, organized bird walks for children aged 9-13 in five cities: Delhi, Kolkata, Mysuru, Mumbai, Shirgao (Goa), and Gobuk (Arunachal Pradesh). These walks were part of the National Wildlife Week celebrations, celebrate from October 2-8 every year. Each walk was led by experienced nature educators and aimed to introduce children to the beauty of birds and nature.
Highlights from the Walks
Mumbai (Bhandup Pumping Station)
Participants here were treated to some fascinating birding moments, including a pair of Indian Golden Orioles and a Black Kite carrying nesting materials. There was also a courtship display by Purple-rumped Sunbirds. The walk concluded with a nature journaling activity where children sketched the local plants and animals. The event was led by Anand Pendharkar, Nikhil Disoria, and Urmila Sampath, in collaboration with SPROUTS.
"As a home-schooler, this bird walk helped me with my Nature Study module, and it was also great for Art and English." - Participant (Mumbai Walk)
New Delhi (Aravalli Biodiversity Park)
Before starting the bird walk, the facilitators, Misha Bansal and Karnika Palwa, gave participants an introduction to the park’s history and its geological features. As they began exploring, the children discovered caterpillars munching on leaves and others preparing to pupate. The group also enjoyed a nature journaling activity, capturing their observations on paper.
"I enjoyed journaling, observing nature, and using the spotting scope to see birds." - Participant (New Delhi Walk)
Mysuru (Kukkarahalli Kere)
The highlight of the Mysuru bird walk was a family of White-breasted Waterhens with their chicks. The children watched in awe as a Shikra tried to attack the chicks, only to see them escape unharmed. Sukhprit Kaur and Saptha Girish from Aranya Outreach led this walk, where participants also played the Bird Survivor Game, learning about the challenges birds face.
"It was an amazing session. We all had a great time, and I'm looking forward to more such events." - Participant (Mysuru Walk)
Shirgao, Goa (Shirgao Creek)
In Goa, the walk began with an exciting encounter between two fighting mugger crocodiles, much to the children’s delight. Later, participants observed bulbul parents feeding their young and even spotted the majestic Great Hornbill. The Bird Bingo game encouraged kids to observe bird behaviours closely. The walk was guided by Snigdha Sehgal, Colin Braganza, and Vedang Saunt, in partnership with The Learning Forest and SOYMGOA.
"Such an unbelievable and mesmerizing variety of birds! Thank you for revealing these treasures in our everyday landscape!" - Parent of Participant (Goa Walk)
Kolkata (Banabitan)
Despite starting the walk on a cloudy note, the weather cleared up, allowing participants to enjoy seeing different birds. Spotting scopes helped see the birds up close and the participants enjoyed seeing Spotted Owlets and different kinds of barbets through them. The walk was organized in partnership with the Birdwatchers’ Society, Kolkata with facilitators Titash Chakrabarti, Batul Pipewala, Sujan Chatterjee, Major Bharatendra Parihar and Anirban Bhaduri.
"The facilitators showed us birds and butterflies with such enthusiasm. I feel enriched." - Participant (Kolkata Walk)
Gobuk, Arunachal Pradesh (Gobuk Pettang Trail)
The students began with a “Walk and Watch” along the Pettang Trail, where they spotted and counted different birds. After a 30-minute walk, they took a break under a big tree and played a bird-themed bingo game, which kept their excitement up. During the game, they spotted more birds and shared what they had learned. Later, they drew the birds they observed and had a friendly contest to see who could describe one bird in the most detail. The day ended with a fun flashcard game, the students’ favourite, making it both an enjoyable and educational experience. The walk was facilitated by Joyshree Gogoi and was organised in partnership with GreenHub x Royal Enfield.
Early Bird has hosted bird walks in various cities. Check out our blog on the walks we organized in 8 cities for World Earth Day. Interested in collaborating with us for bird walks? Read our blog to learn more!