An atlas that maps Pune’s birds, their changing habitats

Red-vented bulbul; (right) Grey heron. (Credit: Siddharth Biniwale)

Scaly breasted munias, rose ringed parakeets, red-vented bulbuls, spotted owls, rock/feral pigeons and rare species such as the Indian grey hornbill that flap through the Pune sky are now being documented in a first-of-its-kind project in Maharashtra called Pune Bird Atlas (PBA).

“Pune is one of the global biodiversity hotspots and a UNESCO World Heritage Region. The city is also continuously changing. If you look at old photographs, you will see that the hills were grasslands but, now, have mostly become jungles. We need to see if, with this changing habitat, there are…