Reporting Delhi's Avifaunal Diversity

Bird Species Report for Delhi (Generated via MYNA Application – State of India’s Birds)

This report has been generated using the MYNA application developed under the State of India’s Birds initiative. An outline of the Delhi region was mapped, and based on citizen science observations, the application produced a comprehensive list of bird species recorded within the city. The data is derived from 314,669 individual observations and 24,218 bird checklists submitted through the eBird platform for Delhi. The document provides a comprehensive overview of bird species observed in Delhi from January 1, 2020, to May 31, 2024.​ Key highlights include:

1. Species Overview:

   • Total bird species: 349 ​

   • Migratory species: 141 ​

   • Globally threatened species (IUCN): 13

   • High conservation priority species (SoIB): 62 ​

   • Schedule I species (Wildlife Protection Act): 46 ​

   • Endemic species to India: 1

     
     

2. IUCN Red List Status:

   • Critically Endangered: 2 species ​

   • Endangered: 3 species ​

   • Vulnerable: 8 species ​

   • Near Threatened: 16 species ​

     
     

3. CITES and CMS Appendix Species:

   • CITES Appendix I: 4 species; Appendix II: 42 species ​

   • CMS Appendix I: 10 species; Appendix II: 170 species ​

     
     

4. Endemic Species:

   • Includes birds like Indian Peafowl, Painted Sandgrouse, Sirkeer Malkoha, and others primarily endemic to the Indian subcontinent.

     
     

5. Top Birding Hotspots in Delhi:

   • Najafgarh Jheel Area (271 species) ​

   • Yamuna Khadar (Wazirabad) (215 species) ​

   • Asola Wildlife Sanctuary (198 species) ​

   • Sanjay Van (194 species) ​

   • Sungarpur (192 species) ​

     
     

6. Waterbird Congregations:

   • Notable species include Greylag Goose, Painted Stork, and Indian Cormorant, with significant population counts reported. ​

     
     

7. Data Contributions:

   • Observations: 314,669 ​

   • Lists: 24,218 (22,038 unique) ​

   • Birding hours: 12,254 ​

   • Observers: 2,450 ​

     
     

8. Conservation Priorities:

   • High priority species include Ruddy Shelduck, Sarus Crane, Egyptian Vulture, and others. ​

   • Several species are listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, indicating their critical conservation status. ​

     
     

The document also includes detailed tables of bird species categorized by conservation priority, IUCN status, endemic regions, and legal protection under the Wildlife Protection Act. ​

The complete details of this report can be accessed in the attached document.

Acknowledgement: Heartfelt gratitude to eBird and the State of India’s Birds initiative for providing open-access data and tools that made this analysis possible. The featured image is clicked by Pragyan James Ali.

Delhi_Avifauna_20_24.pdf

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