1. Kerala Bird Atlas
A Citizen Science Initiative

2. Have you been to Kerala for
Bird-watching ?

3. Visit soon !

4. Internet & Mobile Penetration...

5. Education & Print Media

6. K K Neelakantan’s
Malayalam Bird Book
1
st
Edition: 1958
5
th
Edition: 2017

9. Always Celebration there !

10. What is a bird atlas?
 Atlas- a map showing cities, states, countries etc.
 Bird atlas- map of bird distribution in a city, district, state,
country etc.
 map of seasonal patterns of birds

11. History of Atlases
 1962: Atlas of British Flora- first
biodiversity atlas
 1970: Atlas of Breeding Birds of the
West Midlands- first bird atlas
 By 2008, multiple atlases from
numerous countries
 27.9 million records of birds by 1,08,000 birders!

12. Why make a bird atlas?
 because birds are already being monitored!
 to understand fine-scale distribution; more accurate
information than field guides
 for better understanding of our species
Photos: captainfranks.net |shropshirebirds.com

13. Why make a bird atlas?
Conservation planning
a) assessing changes in distribution and abundance
a) assessing importance of urban green spaces, lakes etc.
a) identifying key sites for conservation
a) predicting impacts of human activities on local species’
distribution

14. Why make a bird atlas?
Bird Atlas 2007-11: The Breeding and Wintering Birds of Britain and Ireland

15. Why make a bird atlas?
Bird Atlas 2007-11: The Breeding and Wintering Birds of Britain and Ireland

16. Bird Atlases in India

17. Mysore Bird Atlas
by Mysore Nature Group

18. Kerala Bird Atlas
 A systematic equal-effort bird survey across the state
2015-2020

19. Kerala Bird Atlas
 A systematic equal-effort bird survey across the state
 Atlas resolution at 6.6 x 6.6 sq km
6.6km
6.6 km
2015-2020

20. Kerala Bird Atlas
 A systematic equal-effort bird survey across the state
 Atlas resolution at 6.6 x 6.6 sq km
 Divide this into four quadrants.
6.6km
6.6 km
2015-2020

21. Kerala Bird Atlas
 A systematic equal-effort bird survey across the state
 Atlas resolution at 6.6 x 6.6 sq km
 Divide this into four quadrants.
 Each quadrant divide into 9 sub-cells
6.6km
6.6 km
2015-2020

22. Kerala Bird Atlas
 A systematic equal-effort bird survey across the state
 Atlas resolution at 6.6 x 6.6 sq km
 Divide this into four quadrants.
 Each quadrant divide into 9 sub-cells
 Sample 1 random sub-cell in each quadrant
 A sub-cell is 1.1 x 1.1 sq km
 Coverage: ~10% of the state
6.6km
6.6 km
2015-2020

23. Kerala Bird Atlas
 A systematic equal-effort bird survey across the state
 Atlas resolution at 6.6 x 6.6 sq km
 Divide this into four quadrants.
 Each quadrant divide into 9 sub-cells
 Sample 1 random sub-cell in each quadrant
 A sub-cell is 1.1 x 1.1 sq km
 Coverage: ~10% of the state
 Timing & Duration: 60 days (9 weekends)
 Wet Season: Jul-mid – Sep-mid
 Dry Season: Jan-mid- Mar-mid
6.6km
6.6 km
2015-2020

24. Kerala Bird Atlas
 A systematic equal-effort bird survey across the state
 Atlas resolution at 6.6 x 6.6 sq km
 Divide this into four quadrants.
 Each quadrant divide into 9 sub-cells
 Sample 1 random sub-cell in each quadrant
 A sub-cell is 1.1 x 1.1 sq km
 Coverage: ~10% of the state
 Timing & Duration: 60 days (9 weekends)
 Wet Season: Jul-mid – Sep-mid
 Dry Season: Jan-mid- Mar-mid
 No of birders: 2-5 with 1 expert birder
6.6km
6.6 km
2015-2020

25. Kerala Bird Atlas
 A systematic equal-effort bird survey across the state
 Atlas resolution at 6.6 x 6.6 sq km
 Divide this into four quadrants.
 Each quadrant divide into 9 sub-cells
 Sample 1 random sub-cell in each quadrant
 A sub-cell is 1.1 x 1.1 sq km
 Coverage: ~10% of the state
 Timing & Duration: 60 days (9 weekends)
 Wet Season: Jul-mid – Sep-mid
 Dry Season: Jan-mid- Mar-mid
 No of birders: 2-5 with 1 expert birder
 Use eBird as backbone
6.6km
6.6 km
2015-2020

26. 20 November 2016

28. A Typical Atlas list in eBird

29. Partners and Collaborators...
Kole Birders
Birders Ezhupunna

30. ...and many virtual Whatsapp
groups totalling more than 1,000
bird-watchers.

31. 78% of Kerala covered

32. Results of the first year

33. White-cheeked Barbet
https://birdcountindia.shinyapps.io/Kerala_print/
 Wet Season Dry Season

34. Asian Koel
https://birdcountindia.shinyapps.io/Kerala_print/
 Wet Season Dry Season

35. Indian Golden Oriole
https://birdcountindia.shinyapps.io/Kerala_print/
 Wet Season Dry Season

36. Lesser Whistling Duck
https://birdcountindia.shinyapps.io/Kerala_print/
 Wet Season Dry Season

37. Jungle & Yellow-billed Babblers
https://birdcountindia.shinyapps.io/Kerala_print/

38. Dashboard...
http://birdatlaskerala.github.io/atlas/

39. Dashboard...

40. Dashboard

41. Where is that Sub-cell ???

42. Locus Free & GPX Viewer

43. Finding sub-cells in mountains

44. Homepage

45. Facebook Page

46. Gamification of Progress

47. The Media

48. Celebrities

49. The Media

50. A Selfie after completing every sub-cell

51. Celebrate with Birds
Celebrate Atlas !
Acknowledgements:
All bird-watchers & partners of Kerala Bird Atlas
eBird Media Contributors

52. Additional Slides

53. Black-throated Munia in Kannur

56. Atlas ID Cards