Arunachal Pradesh: 57 species sighted during Aalo bird walk

Aalo: As many as 57 bird species were sighted during the inaugural Aalo bird walk held in West Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh from March 2-3, an official statement said.

The walk, named 'Feathers and Footsteps', was organised jointly by the West Siang district administration and the Siang team of the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE-Siang), in collaboration with the forest and tourism departments.

"It was very exciting to see such an enthusiastic response to the maiden Aalo bird walk, particularly from the local youths. We want to continue this effort in the future too," West Siang Deputy Commissioner Mamu Hage, an avid birdwatcher, said in the statement.

The event packed an array of engaging activities, including educational talks on bird identification, the significance of bird conservation, and a quiz.

"The bird walk, despite cold, cloudy and misty weather, was a huge success and the biggest highlight was the sighting of at least 1,000 Common Cranes in flight, probably on their way back to the breeding grounds," said Rajkamal Goswami, who leads the ATREE-Siang team based at Pasighat in East Siang district.