14/01/2023
The 6th edition of Bird Festival of Goa is scheduled on 27th, 28th and 29th Jan 2023 at Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, Bondla-Goa.
Come bird with us & discover the natural beauty of Goa!
Celebrate the return of migratory birds and local Avi faunal diversity in the midst of winter season while enjoying field trips, events and free family activities for all ages and abilities in Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary and throughout Goa!
The State of Goa nestled in Western ghats in the east and Arabian Sea to its west is synonymous the world over as a tourist destination drawing people in droves from far and near to explore its serenity, the wide expanse of pristine beaches and resorts stretching from north to south over a coastline that is 105 km long. The Western ghats constitute one of the 25 mega biodiversity hot spots in the world and by virtue of its location, the State represent a unique confluence of two diverse ecosystems, one influenced by marine environment and the other by the terrestrial forests resulting in astonishing diversity of species with high endemism, habitats and diversity.
Around 1250 sq km of the State’s geographical area of 3702 sq km is comprised of forests that range from evergreen & semi-evergreen vegetation seen in patches along the high altitude to plateau vegetation of deciduous or leaf shedding species confined to low altitudes. Estuarine vegetation comprising of mangroves characterize the estuaries. These forests shelter the biodiversity which manifests itself either as giant Matti (Terminalia crenulata), the State tree or a tiny blood sucking leech to Southern bird wing butterfly or a small green bee-eater to king cobra or the tiger all trudging merrily through the State’s wilderness. 20.04% of the geographical area of State is constituted into Wildlife Protected Areas (WLPAs) spread over 755 sq km that we know as Sanctuaries and National Park. While the stroll or drive through the WLPAs provides chance encounters with wildlife, it is time well spent even amidst the peace and quiet of dense forests. Goa has 6 sanctuaries and 1 national park. The names of sanctuaries are Bhagwan Mahaveer, Madei, Netravali, Cotigao, Bondla and Salim Ali while the name listed first also denotes a national park in the State. The Bison aka Gaur(Bos gaurus) is the State animal while the Ruby throated yellow bulbul(Pycnonotus gularis) has the distinction of being the State bird.
Bird watching tourism or avi-tourism is a niche sector of the nature-based tourism and is an emerging sub-sector of the nature-based tourism industry, where tourists travel motivations are focused around bird watching The birding sector is a booming industry worth approx 1204 billion rupees on bird-related vacation, which shows that this market is not one to be overlooked and a great industry to be involved in. Goa Forest Department has been accredited with the responsibility of developing and promoting the state’s bird sanctuary, wild life sanctuaries and national park, as preferred destinations for bird lovers, photographers, bloggers, nature enthusiasts and tourists. The Forest department plays a proactive role in showcasing its bio- diversity to various stake holders be it the student community, youth, residents of the State or the visitors from outside through Awareness campaigns and eco-tourism. As a step in this direction, the Forest Department is hosting the 6th Bird Festival of Goa in the month of January, 2023.
Visit - www.birdfestival.goa.gov.in
