The count of bird species spotted in the region has declined a little in last year due to the increasing pressure on wetlands around the city due to heavy construction activities. The results of Big Bird Day 2016 have left much worried as the total number of species in NCR seems to have come down significantly since 2005. This time, only 228 species were spotted in NCR as compared to 239 last year.

The annual event, which sees participation from teams across the country, sends all its data to the e-bird portal which consolidates and arrives at trends. BBD organizers told that each team reported a 10% to 15% decline in last year’s numbers but birders aren’t’ sure why. The count of species was released by Delhi Bird Group (BBD) on Monday after successful annual Big Bird Day during which birders counted species of birds at wetlands and forest areas of the region.

Members of the Delhi Bird Group, who organize the event, said wetlands in NCR need to be protected immediately and scientific studies should be conducted to understand why numbers are going down even as the number of birding teams is increasing. “The wetlands of NCR are under extreme pressure from real estate industry, due to which birds are losing their habitat,” said Sheila Chhabra, a member of Delhi Bird Group.

The count of species at Dindawas has come down significantly from 184 species in 2015 to 150 species this time. “The numbers of birds have come down at Basai and it seems it will disappear in next few years,” said Chhabra. She added that in last few years’ lots of construction has come up around Basai, which used to be one of the favorite destinations of migratory and resident birds.

Pankaj Gupta, who has been recording details of birds of the region for years, said a number of species have shown little decline but a number of birds have gone down significantly. “Information collected about birds and habitat help in understanding migratory pattern and behavior of birds,” said Gupta. Birders said that while no extremely rare bird was spotted, those worth mentioning include Red Throated Pipit, Whistler’s Warbler and Grey Bushchat.

The park has, however, also reported sightings that bring new hope. The Common Pochard, considered a `near threatened’ species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, was seen in large numbers here. Also spotted were important species such as Common Teal and Red Crested Pochards.