A World-Wide Celebration of Birds
The thirteenth day of this May, 2023 was a special day. Not because it was someone’s birthday, but because it was this year’s Global Big Day . From my experience, the average Ugandan is very puzzled when you make mention of the Global Big Day. You’d most likely get a “What are you talking about?”
To the bird-aware community though, the Global Big Day is a particular day. It is a day to grab your gear and get your bird on. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology Cornell Lab of Ornithology organizes the Global Big Day for bird lovers to celebrate all the birds around them. Birdwatchers across the world set out to participate by going on a birdwatching adventure to appreciate birds around them. Birdwatchers dedicate the day to learning new things about their favorite birds, learn more about bird behavior and get beguiled in the romantic songs birds sing. Birders often get together and kick off birding at midnight, camping out camping out or doing birding around their home to celebrate the day.
This year’s Global Big Day was extra special to us; it was the first time the Avian Conservation Uganda Society got together to celebrate the Global Big Day. And celebrate we did, with 14 birding groups across Uganda – the society identified 369 birds 369 birds on the day out of the 998 species reported on eBird. Of the 369 species observed, there were special entries of Albertine endemic birds. This means, to marvel at the shining red pigment of a Dusky Crimsonwing dashing in the ecological paradise, listening to majestic songs of the Archer’s Robin-Chat or catching a glimpse of the Grauer’s Broadbill dumpy green is a reserve only for the Albertine forests. Our teams were delighted to encounter several Albertine endemics Albertine endemics ) including the Grauer’s Broadbill, Regal Sunbird, and the Rwenzori Apalis.
To imagine that at the current rate of loss of habitat especially the declining forest cover, encroachment on wetlands and modification of Important Bird Areas; Important Bird Areas ) future generations may not be able to bask in the beauty of the Great Blue Turaco or find therapy in the distant songs of the African Thrush in the early morning, is a disturbing thought. Future generations don’t deserve such a gloomy fate. This and more, is why the Avian Conservation Uganda Society brings together birdwatchers and bird lovers to put birds at the centre of the conversation and to raise awareness about the need to conserve these precious birds.
Birds aren’t ecological constants. They are variables and therefore may change depending on the ecological conditions of the equation. The health of the ecosystem has a significant bearing on bird life as much as the birds have on it. Human destruction and modification of bird habitat for agriculture, commercial activities and urbanization have left most habitats unsuitable for birds and this causes migrations or worse, reduced breeding and declining populations. These variations destabilize the ecosystem across the board. For instance, reduced bird populations can mean less pollination agents affecting the quantity of the yield for farmers. With the global problem of food insecurity, we can not afford less pollination agents.
Therefore, it is why the Avian Conservation Uganda Society is pleased to celebrate the Global Big Day. It is a day we can put bird conservation at the center of the conversation. The Society participated in the celebrations by planting trees in an effort to lead the way in restoring vital bird habitat and organizing birding groups across the country to identify as many birds as possible in an effort to raise awareness on bird conservation. ACUS birding groupss in L. Mburo National Park, Kibale Forest, Bwindo Impenetrable forest, Bethany Land Institute, Muni University, Kabale University, Balaamu University, Uganda Wildlife Research and Training Insitute, Uganda Wildlife Education Centre, the Rotaract Club of Kampala North and Mgahinga Forest submitted their checklists for the day identifying 369 birds.
Avian Conservation Uganda Society was named among Top eBirders Top eBirders and contributing significantly to Uganda identifying the third highest species in Africa on the Global Big Day. The organization has scheduled a conservation awareness excursion to Semuliki National Park where participants will get to go birding and celebrate birds over a weekend to supplement efforts to raise awareness of conserving birds for the cultural, economic and ecological benefit.