12 February 2026
Ahmedabad City Bird Atlas: The First Urban Bird Atlas from Western India
The recently published Ahmedabad City Bird Atlas, the first urban bird atlas from Western India, reveals fascinating data that Ahmedabad’s urban landscape is home to 181 bird species recorded in a single winter season, nearly one-third of Gujarat’s avifauna.
The project was led by researchers from Ahmedabad University in collaboration with Bird Conservation Society Gujarat and the Community Ecology and Conservation Biology lab, with support from Bird Count India and eBird India. The Atlas is based on systematic grid-based surveys conducted between December 2024 and January 2025.
Dozens of volunteers participated in structured field surveys across 61 grid cells, following standardised protocols and submitting complete checklists through eBird. Their participation enabled city-wide data collection at scale.
The study found that insectivorous birds formed the largest group, 25 percent of the species recorded were migratory visitors, and species richness was highest along the edges of the city. While we may not always notice the biodiversity around us in our daily commute, the Atlas underscores the importance of conservation efforts guided by rigorous scientific research.
