Joram, Oct 13 : The first-ever Keyi Panyor Bird Counting was successfully organised at Joram Putung, Joram Village, by the Keyi Panyor Tourism Society in collaboration with the Arunachal Pradesh Birding Club, Bird Count India and the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF). The initiative aimed to promote bird conservation, raise awareness about local biodiversity and explore the potential of birdwatching as a sustainable ecotourism activity in the district.
The resource persons from the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) included Ms. Mittal Gala, Shri Samakshi Tiwari, Shri Nizar Muhammed, Ms. Prerana Chandak and Shri Leons Mathew Abraham. Nature enthusiasts and students from Government Secondary School, Joram, VKV School, Joram, and Neelam Taram Government College, Yachuli, along with panchayat members and volunteers from Hugung Trek, also participated in the programme.
During the two-hour bird-counting exercise, participants recorded 38 bird species in and around Joram Village, highlighting the area’s rich avian diversity and ecological significance. The species identified included the Indian White-eye, Grey Bushchat, Dark-sided Flycatcher, White-throated Fantail, Mountain Hawk-Eagle, Large-billed Crow and Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, among others.
Later in the day, Ms. Mittal Gala, resource person from the Nature Conservation Foundation, delivered an informative PowerPoint presentation at Government Secondary School, Joram. The session covered the diversity of birds in India, their unique characteristics, endangered species, techniques for conducting bird counts and the importance of birds in maintaining ecological balance. The interactive session helped participants and members of the local community better understand the need to protect bird habitats and conserve biodiversity.
Certificates were distributed to all participants and resource persons by the Keyi Panyor Tourism Society in recognition of their participation and contribution to the initiative.
Addressing the gathering, Koj Mama, Founder-cum-President of the Arunachal Pradesh Birding Club, informed that the club was established in 2012 to promote birdwatching and conservation in the state. He emphasised that birdwatching offers promising livelihood opportunities for local youth, who can be trained as birding guides. He further noted that homestays and other ecotourism activities could flourish alongside birdwatching, creating sustainable income opportunities for local communities while encouraging environmental conservation.
Punyo Chada, Secretary of Ngunu Ziro, shared the experience of organising the first Ziro Butterfly Meet in 2018, which attracted nature lovers and butterfly enthusiasts and has since continued as an annual event. Drawing from this successful initiative, he suggested that Keyi Panyor District should also consider organising a dedicated Bird and Butterfly Meet to promote its biodiversity, attract nature enthusiasts and strengthen its ecotourism potential.
Nabam Piju, ZPC, appreciated the organisers and resource persons for bringing participants closer to nature through this unique initiative. Expressing her surprise at the diversity of birds recorded during the exercise, she remarked that she had earlier felt that birds were disappearing from their surroundings, but the day’s observations revealed the presence of numerous species. She urged everyone to pledge against killing birds and consuming their meat, stressing the importance of protecting avian life. She also expressed hope that the next edition would record double the number of bird species identified during the inaugural counting.
The first-ever Keyi Panyor Bird Counting marks an important step towards building awareness about biodiversity conservation and promoting community-led ecotourism in the district. The initiative is expected to encourage greater participation among local youth, students and communities in documenting and protecting the region’s rich natural heritage.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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