JORAM, 13 Oct: A total of 30 bird species were recorded during the first-ever Keyi Panyor Bird Counting conducted at Joram Putung in Joram village in Keyi Panyor district.

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.

The bird species were recorded in and around Joram village, highlighting the area's rich avian diversity and ecological significance.

The programme witnessed enthusiastic participation from PC Nabam Piju, trade development officer Tai Arun, range forest officer Bunty Tao, founder-cum president of the Arunachal Pradesh Birding Club Koj Mama, Ngunu Ziro secretary Punyo Chada, and event coordinator-cum-joint secretary of the Keyi Panyor Tourism Society Joram Aatum.

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.

Organized 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.

Later in the day, resource person from the Nature Conservation Foundation Mittal Gala delivered an informative presentation at Government Secondary School, Joram, covering 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.

Addressing the gathering, Arunachal Pradesh Birding Club president Koj Mama said that birdwatching offers promising livelihood opportunities for local youth, who can be trained as birding guides. He further said that homestays and other ecotourism activities could flourish alongside birdwatching, creating sustainable income opportunities for local communities while encouraging environmental conservation.

Ngunu Ziro secretary Punyo Chada 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.

ZPC Nabam Piju urged everyone to pledge against killing birds and consuming their meat, stressing the importance of protecting avian life. She expressed hope that the next edition would record double the number of bird species identified during the inaugural counting.

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.

Other resource persons from the Nature Conservation Foundation were Samakshi Tiwari, Nizar Muhammed, Prerana Chandak and Leons Mathew Abraham.