Nagaland is gearing up to host the first bird documentation event – ‘Tokhü Emong Bird Count (TEBC)‘ from November 4-7, an effort to promote and encourage conservation of birds in their natural habitat.
This event is being organized in collaboration with the Wokha Forest Division and the Divisional Management Unit, Nagaland Forest Management Project (NFMP), Wokha and Bird Count India.
According to an official statement, a public birding event will be conducted and the comprehensive details of birds would be deliberated to generate awareness among the students on bird conservation. A birdwalk through woodland is also feasible during the event. This will prove as a great opportunity to get kids connected to birds and nature.
As per the guidelines, avid twitchers can watch and count birds from anywhere in Nagaland and upload the lists to eBird (www.ebird.org/india). All the lists can be uploaded by November 30, 2022.
Birders outside Nagaland who wish to be part of this event can follow the above guidelines however an additional step is to share your checklists with eBird UserID : ‘tokhuemong’. However, counts will be more productive early in the morning, with birds generally becoming quiet and inactive during the middle of the day.
The event has been dubbed after Tokhü Emong, a post-harvest festival of the Lotha Nagas. Tokhü Emong is a festival of thanksgiving, sharing, and reconciliation. The most beautiful aspect of this festival is to forgive the past rancours, develop new ties and bonds of closer intimacy.