Bengaluru Bird Day 2024

Join us for this year’s Bengaluru Bird Day,

Saturday, October 5, 2024

Update: Changed Time

8:30 am to 12:45 pm

Indian Institute of World Culture, Basavanagudi

Entry Free!

Dr. Joseph George Memorial Talk

Birdwatching as a Window to the World of Ecology and Conservation

Birdwatching is a simple hobby and yet, it holds the potential to change the direction of one’s life. It fuels a sense of curiosity that is hard to resist and is often the motivation for most of us to wake up before the crack of dawn and go in search of birds. Sometimes, this passion leads us into unknown terrains and every so often, it leads us astray.

My earliest memories of birds are from my childhood when every morning, I would throw broken rice for the hundreds of sparrows that lived in our well. Just out of school, I started watching birds and got hold of a field guide and would show up to participate in the 2nd Sunday outings at Lalbagh. Having been a shy person all along in school, birdwatching presented an interesting opportunity. Interacting with people who shared the same level of enthusiasm, and a dash of craziness, was fun. Before I knew it, I was enjoying going in search of birds, insects, frogs and kinds of other things, either alone or with newfound friends.

With or without my knowledge, I had gotten on a course that I had least imagined that I’d be on. I will take you along on this journey as a volunteer, a researcher, a student, and an early career faculty researching some of India’s fascinating ecosystems and working towards conserving it. I hope to share little bits of wisdom about aspects of ecology and evolution and leave you with more questions than answers. I will also attempt to evoke a sense of longing to be in the wilderness and that of sadness over the portending loss of nature. This deliberate attempt is with a hope that some of you might find it mildly interesting and nudge you to lose your way.

Sarus duet
Sarus pair with waterbirds & farmer
Sarus duet
Sarus duet
Seshadri in Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve
Forest canopy from the ground
Seshadri K S with a big Atlas Moth
Raorchestes luteolus
Raorchestes luteolus
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Dr. K. S. Seshadri

Dr. K. S. Seshadri

Dr. Seshadri K S is a second-generation Bangalorean who grew up surrounded by nature, watching sparrows nest in a well in his courtyard during the early 90s. As a teenager, his passion for birdwatching led him to join BngBirds in the early 2000s. During his BSc at St. Joseph’s College, Bangalore, Seshadri expanded his interests to include Odonates and Heritage Trees. Throughout his undergraduate years, he volunteered with researchers, surveying large mammals across the Western Ghats of...
Dr. Joseph George

About Dr. Joseph George

If there is any one person who could be called the pioneer of group birdwatching efforts in India, it is Dr. Joseph George. Being involved with group birdwatching activities in Dehradun even in the nineteen forties, he continued involving people and popularising the hobby wherever he went. Moving into Bangalore from Roorkee, Dr. George started an informal bird watching group here too in Bangalore in 1972. For all of us birdwatchers who came in contact with him, he inspired us with his...

Inviting teams of two people across all age groups to participate in the ‘Bird Brain – The Open Bird Quiz’. Team up with your friends, classmates, and family to participate in this quiz. 

 

  • Team Size: 2 people in a team
  • Age: Both can be of any age
  • Format: Written + Finals
  • Entry: Entry free, on-the-spot registration
  • Time:
    9:00 am (written)
    9:45 am (finals)
  • No remote teams, all participating teams need to be present at the venue
  1. QuizMasters

Shyamal L.
Bijoy Venugopal

Quiz Masters

Bijoy Venugopal

Bijoy Venugopal

Bijoy Venugopal is a communications professional and travel writer based in Bangalore. He began birding in 1989 with the Birdwatchers’ Field Club of Bangalore. An avid trekker, he enjoys rough travel and camping outdoors. His inexhaustible love for the outdoors has...

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Shyamal L.

Shyamal L.

Shyamal is an independent researcher with a broad training in biology, statistics and numerical computing. His work has been at the intersection of computation and biology. He has been interested in the outdoors, natural history of India, and the history of science....

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Venue

Indian Institute of World Culture

Indian Institute of World Culture

Wadia Hall

6, B.P. Wadia Road,
Basavanagudi,
Bangalore – 560004

Indian Institute of World Culture

Parking available at the venue.

The nearest Metro Stations are,

  • Lalbagh Metro Station (750 Mtrs)
  • National College Metro Station (950 Mtrs)

The nearest Bus Stop is the Basavanagudi Police Station Stop (450 Mtrs)

Parking available at the venue.

The nearest Metro Stations are,

  • Lalbagh Metro Station (750 Mtrs)
  • National College Metro Station (950 Mtrs)

The nearest Bus Stops are,

  • Krishna Rao Park Bus Stop (190 Mtrs)
  • Basavanagudi Police Station Stop (450 Mtrs)

Supported By

For more details write to us at [email protected] or reach us at 9845171063.