Goa’s Bird Festival welcomes you to fancy birding and discover natural beauty

Panaji, January 10: Due to its rich natural blend, Goa is home to diverse bird species. Goa is set to host its second edition of the Bird Festival between January 12-14 at Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary and Galjibag beach in Canacona in South Goa. 

State Principal Conservator of Forests Ajay Saxena said that holding the bird festival in Goa attains significance considering the fact that almost 40% of the total bird species from the country are found.

Out of a total of 10293 bird species in the world, 1224 are recorded in India and of this Goa has recorded 450 species, he added.

"Bird sighting will be part of this festival and the focus this time would be on oceanic birds," he informed.

"There are hundreds of migratory birds that visit the state's coast. Goa is rich in the coastline, wetlands, water bodies, one can see lot of oceanic birds taking shelter here for a small period," he said.

Delegates from Sri Lanka and the USA will also be participating in the event.

The event is being hosted by the Forest department in association with Goa Tourism Development Corporation and Goa Bird Conservation Network.

The State of Goa nestled between the Western Ghats in the east and the Arabian Sea to its west is an acclaimed tourist destination for its serenity, natural beauty, pristine beaches, stretching from north to south over a coastline that is 105 km long and hospitality. The Western Ghats constitute one of the 25 mega biodiversity hot spots in the world and by virtue of its location, the State represents a unique confluence of two diverse ecosystems, the marine and the tropical forests resulting in astonishing diversity of species with high degree of endemism especially in forest areas While a large number of migratory birds visit Goa's coastal and seascapes during winter.