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90-605: Purbasthali is a village with a police station and a rail station in Purbasthali II CD block in Kalna subdivision of Purba Bardhaman district . It is located 120 km north from Kolkata . Also known as Chupi Char, it lies on the banks of a large oxbow lake created by the Ganges river and is only 8 km from the old and holy town of Nabadwip . The 2–3 km long lake attracts migrants and water birds. The Purbasthali area has

180-402: A citizen science project used by ornithologists to document trends in bird populations, it allows birders see recent reports by other birders and search by species and location. Some species, including endangered species and others likely to be disrupted by increased human activity, are designated "sensitive species" by eBird and have locations of sightings hidden from the general public. As

270-479: A country list , state list , county list , yard list , year list , or any combination of these. The early interest in observing birds for their aesthetic rather than utilitarian (mainly food) value is traced to the late 18th century in the works of Gilbert White , Thomas Bewick , George Montagu and John Clare . The study of birds, and of natural history in general, became increasingly prevalent in Britain during

360-404: A golden-winged warbler ( Vermivora chrysoptera ), which is native to North America. Twitchers have developed their own vocabulary . For example, a twitcher who fails to see a rare bird has dipped out ; if other twitchers do see the bird, they may feel gripped off . Suppression is the act of concealing news of a rare bird from other twitchers. Many birders maintain a life list , that is,

450-470: A spotting scope with tripod , a smartphone , a notepad, and one or more field guides . Hides (known as blinds in North America) or observation towers are often used to conceal the observers from birds, and/or to improve viewing conditions. Virtually all optics manufacturers offer specific binoculars for birding, and some have even geared their whole brand to birders. Recognition of bird vocalizations

540-480: A bird watching mission in one winter morning of 1989, THE JUNGLEES ( www.junglees.org ), headed by the Secretary Mr. Raja Chatterjee discovered Purbasthali Gangetic Isle complex - tucked away in the remote course of river Ganga. It was a Mission Apocalypse. In a day-long sailing sojourn, THE JUNGLEES beheld flocks of Migratory Waterfowls aptly transforming the whole region a fair ground of feathered guests. Their booty

630-529: A constituent gram panchayat of Purbasthali II CD Block, is located at 23°33′N 88°15′E  /  23.55°N 88.25°E  / 23.55; 88.25 . Purbasthali II CD Block is part of the Bhagirathi basin. The Bhagirathi forms the eastern boundary of the CD Block. The region has many swamps and water-logged areas. The soil is fertile, as it consists mainly of silt deposits. Purbasthali II CD Block

720-477: A distance away from nests and nesting colonies, and respecting private property. The lack of definite evidence, except arguably in the form of photographs, makes birding records difficult to prove but birdwatchers strive to build trust in their identification. One of the few major disputes was the case of the Hastings Rarities . Ethologist Nikolaas Tinbergen considers birdwatching to be an expression of

810-451: A fairly high level of arsenic in the ground water. And this place was popular for teaching ancient language Vedic Sanskrit, The famous & oldest educational institution in this village is "Purbasthali Nilmani Brahmachari Institution" which was founded in the year of 1887 by Dr. (Prof) sir Upendranath Brahmachari. Purbasthali lies close on the Tropic of Cancer. Purbasthali is a large block with

900-559: A list of all of the species they have seen in their life, usually with details about the sighting such as date and location. The American Birding Association has specific rules about how a bird species may be documented and recorded in such a list if it is submitted to the ABA; however, the criteria for the personal recording of these lists are very subjective. Some birders "count" species they have identified audibly, while others only record species that they have identified visually. Some also maintain

990-414: A list. The term originated in the 1950s, when it was used to describe the nervous behaviour of Howard Medhurst, a British birdwatcher. Earlier terms for those who chased rarities were pot-hunter , tally-hunter , or tick-hunter . The main goal of twitching is often to accumulate species on one's lists. Some birders engage in competition to accumulate the longest species list. The act of the pursuit itself

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1080-484: A major business, with at least 127 companies offering tours worldwide. An average trip to a less-developed country costs $ 4,000 per person and includes about 12 participants for each of 150 trips a year. It has been suggested that this economic potential needs to be tapped for conservation. Birdwatching tourism is considered to be one of the fastest-growing nature-based tourism sectors in the world, often involving well-educated or wealthy travelers with specific interests in

1170-801: A minimum of 10% of its net profits to bird conservation and communities it operates in. Another tour operator, Hardy Boat, has donated $ 200,000 to Project Puffin to conserve puffin populations off the Atlantic Coast. One of the expectations of ecotourism is that the travels of birders to a place will contribute to the improvement of the local economy, ensuring that the environment is valued and protected. Birdwatchers contribute to conservation, helping build and disseminate environmental knowledge by participating in citizen science. However, birding can bring about an increased penetration of ecosystem services that are perceived as birdwatchers' indispensable attributes. By their presence and obstinacy, birdwatchers affect

1260-585: A more limited scope, perhaps not venturing far from their own yards or local parks to view birds. Indeed, in 1969 a Birding Glossary appeared in Birding magazine which gave the following definitions: Birder . The acceptable term used to describe the person who seriously pursues the hobby of birding. May be professional or amateur. Birding . A hobby in which individuals enjoy the challenge of bird study, listing, or other general activities involving bird life. Bird-watcher . A rather ambiguous term used to describe

1350-449: A much more widespread aspect of the hobby. As with the arrival of affordable digital cameras , the development of more compact and affordable digital video cameras has made them more attractive and accessible to the birding community. Cross-over, non-linear digital models now exist that take high-quality stills at acceptable resolutions, as well as being able to record and play audio and video. The ability to capture and reproduce not only

1440-660: A number of villages adjoining a large oxbow lake, created by the river Ganga, on its Western bank, in Purba Bardhaman district of West Bengal. It is 120 km north from Calcutta. On the Eastern bank of the river lies the old and holy town of Nabadwip. The entire Gangetic Isle complex of Purbasthali extends between the geographical coordinates from 88° 19' 45" to 88° 22' E longitude and 23° 26' to 23° 26'45" N latitude. Purbasthali police station has jurisdiction over parts of Purbasthali I and Purbasthali II CD Blocks. The area covered

1530-408: A part of birding, but in the past the cost of cameras with super-telephoto lenses made this a minority, often semi-professional, interest. The advent of affordable digital cameras , which can be used in conjunction with a spotting scope or binoculars (using the technique of afocal photography , referred to by the neologism " digiscoping " or sometimes digibinning for binoculars), have made this

1620-609: A possibility for a large number of people towards the 1980s. The need for global guides to birds increased, and one of the biggest resulting projects was the Handbook of the Birds of the World , begun in the 1990s by Josep del Hoyo, Jordi Sargatal, David A. Christie, and ornithologist Andy Elliott. Initially, birdwatching was largely restricted to developed countries such as the United Kingdom and

1710-495: A pucca (paved) approach road and 27 villages (30.68%) have transport communication (includes bus service, rail facility and navigable waterways). 21 villages (23.86%) have agricultural credit societies . 14 villages (15.91%) have banks. In 2013-14, there were 92 fertiliser depots, 23 seed store and 51 fair price shops in the CD Block. Persons engaged in agriculture in Purbasthali II CD Block Although

1800-439: A total literacy of 64.50 per cent for the 6+ age group. While male literacy was 72.38 per cent female literacy was 56.07 per cent. Bardhaman district had a total literacy of 70.18 per cent, male literacy being 78.63 per cent and female literacy being 60.95 per cent. See also – List of West Bengal districts ranked by literacy rate Primary Census Abstract Data In the 2011 census Hindus numbered 145,531 and formed 68.06% of

1890-576: A useful tool for environmental education and awareness of environmental issues. Birdwatching can increase respect for nature and awareness of the fragility of ecosystems . Birding as a competitive event is organized in some parts of the world. Such competitions encourage individuals or teams to accumulate large numbers of species within a specified time or area with special rules. Some birdwatchers will also compete by attempting to increase their life list, national list, state list, provincial list, county list, or year list . The American Birding Association

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1980-484: Is 180.3 km. Purbasthali is located on the agriculturally rich alluvial plains between the Bhagirathi , Ajay and Damodar rivers. Temperatures in this region varies from 17-18 °C in winter to 30-32 °C in summer. The whole area of Purbasthali is covered with greenery, fruit-gardens, flower-gardens and agricultural fields producing a considerable amount of vegetables and fruits for export. Purbasthali region

2070-424: Is an important part of a birder's toolkit. Sound information can assist in the locating, watching, identification, and sometimes sexing of birds. Recent developments in audio technology have seen recording and reproduction devices shrink in both size and price, making them accessible to a greater portion of the birding community. The non-linear nature of digital audio technology has also made selecting and accessing

2160-406: Is at Patuli . Gram panchayats of Purbasthali II block/ panchayat samiti are: Jhawdanga, Kalekhantola I, Kalekhantola II, Majida , Mertala, Mukshimpara, Nimdaha, Patuli, Pilla and Purbasthali . As per the 2011 Census of India Purbasthali II CD Block had a total population of 212,355, all of which were rural. There were 109,442 (52%) males and 102,913 (48%) females. Population below 6 years

2250-616: Is bounded by Nakashipara CD Block, in Nadia district across the Bhagirathi , on the north, Krishnanagar II and Nabadwip CD Blocks, in Nadia district across the Bhagirathi , on the east, Purbasthali I CD Block on the south and Katwa II and Manteswar CD Blocks on the west. Purbasthali II CD Block has an area of 192.47 km . It has 1 panchayat samity , 10 gram panchayats , 156 gram sansads (village councils), 89 mouzas and 88 inhabited villages. Nadanghat and Purbasthali police stations serve this block. Headquarters of this CD Block

2340-434: Is estimated that birdwatching ecotourism contributes $ 41 billion per year to the U.S. economy. The large funds generated by birdwatching ecotourism have been suggested as a replacement for tax revenue generated by bird hunting which has dropped to its lowest levels in decades. Birding ecotourism companies are also making contributions to conservation. Birding Ecotours, which runs both international and domestic trips, donates

2430-475: Is located in the flood plains two major rivers Damodar and the Ganga. The wetland with the river course form a half moon shape between Nabadwip and Purbasthali. Topographic configuration is the typical monotonously low dipping Gangetic plain of West Bengal with an average height of 14 metres above mean sea level. During monsoon river gets flooded, with the water level within the wetland getting higher and under heavy rains

2520-417: Is mainly controlled by the river Ganga. During rainy season, when the river gets flooded, the water level within the wetland gets higher and some times the island within the wetland also gets flooded. Although, it has a huge open catchment area all around the wetland, that contributes the surface run-off into this wetland, yet it has little effect on the hydrology. During monsoon period, specially during flood,

2610-510: Is part of the area where agriculture dominates the scenario but the secondary and tertiary sectors have shown an increasing trend. There are 88 inhabited villages in Purbasthali II CD block. All 88 villages (100%) have power supply. 87 villages (98.86%) have drinking water supply. 22 villages (25.00%) have post offices. 84 villages (94.45%) have telephones (including landlines, public call offices and mobile phones). 43 villages (48.86%) have

2700-586: Is referred to as a twitch or a chase . A rare bird that stays long enough for people to see it is twitchable or chaseable . Twitching is highly developed in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands , Denmark , Ireland , Finland and Sweden . The size of these countries makes it possible to travel throughout them quickly and with relative ease. The most popular twitches in the UK have drawn large crowds; for example, approximately 2,500 people travelled to Kent , to view

2790-700: Is the Purbasthali railway station at Purbasthali. State Highway 6 (West Bengal) running from Rajnagar (in Birbhum district) to Alampur (in Howrah district) passes through this block. In 2013-14, Purbasthali II CD Block had 121 primary schools with 11,084 students, 10 middle schools with 9,698 students, 11 high school with 8,132 students and 9 higher secondary schools with 12,214 students. Purbasthali II CD Block had 1 general college with 1,343 and 323 institutions for special and non-formal education with 14,057 students As per

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2880-443: Is the observing of birds , either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science . A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device such as binoculars or a telescope , by listening for bird sounds, watching public webcams , or by viewing smart bird feeder cameras. Most birdwatchers pursue this activity for recreational or social reasons, unlike ornithologists , who engage in

2970-433: Is the main medical facility in Purbasthali II CD block. There are primary health centres at Kubajpur, PO Rai Dogachhia (with 4 beds), Nimdah, PO Belerhat (with 6 beds), Patuli (with 10 beds) and Singari, PO Laxmipur (with 10 beds). Purbasthali II CD Block is one of the areas of Bardhaman district which is affected by high levels of arsenic contamination of ground water. Birding Birdwatching , or birding ,

3060-527: Is the main medical facility in Purbasthali II CD block. There are primary health centres at Kubajpur, PO Rai Dogachhia (with 4 beds), Nimdah, PO Belerhat (with 6 beds), Patuli (with 10 beds) and Singari, PO Laxmipur (with 10 beds). There are also 74 Primary Health Centres, 2 Medical Institutions (State Govt. Undertaking),1 Medical Institutions (Central Govt. Undertaking) Survey Report on Oxbow Lake of Purbasthali, 1998 by Institute of Environmental Studies and Wetland Management. Purbasthali II Patuli,

3150-567: The Sibley Guide to Birds and the official Audubon Society app. Other apps utilize machine learning to automatically identifying birds from photographs and audio recordings, such as the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Merlin Bird ID application and iNaturalist . Cornell Lab of Ornithology 's eBird database is a popular tool used by birders to document their sightings. In addition to serving as

3240-816: The American Birding Association and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in North America. Many statewide or local Audubon organizations are also active in the United States, as are many provincial and local organizations in Canada. BirdLife International is an important global alliance of bird conservation organizations. Many countries and smaller regions (states/provinces) have "rarities committees" to check, accept or reject reports of rare birds made by birders. Equipment commonly used for birding includes binoculars ,

3330-479: The Christmas Bird Count , or follow carefully designed study protocols. This kind of citizen science can assist in identifying environmental threats to the well-being of birds or, conversely, in assessing outcomes of environmental management initiatives intended to ensure the survival of at-risk species or to encourage the breeding of species for aesthetic or ecological reasons. This more scientific side of

3420-461: The Victorian Era , often associated with collection , eggs and later skins being the artifacts of interest. Wealthy collectors made use of their contacts in the colonies to obtain specimens from around the world. It was only in the late 19th century that the call for bird protection led to the rising popularity of observations of living birds. The Audubon Society was started to protect birds from

3510-507: The World Wide Web , birders have been using the Internet to convey information; this can be via mailing lists , forums , bulletin-boards , web-based databases and other social media . While most birding lists are geographic in scope, there are special-interest lists that cater to bird-identification, 'twitchers', seabirds and raptor enthusiasts to name but a few. Messages can range from

3600-641: The auditory aspects of enjoying birds. In North America, many birders differentiate themselves from birdwatchers, and the term birder is unfamiliar to most lay people. At the most basic level, the distinction is perceived as one of dedication or intensity, though this is a subjective differentiation. Generally, self-described birders perceive themselves to be more versed in minutiae such as identification (aural and visual), molt, distribution, migration timing, and habitat usage. Whereas these dedicated birders may often travel specifically in search of birds, birdwatchers have been described by some enthusiasts as having

3690-896: The 'scientification' of the pastime was 'undesirable'. This stand was to change only in 1936 when the RSPB was taken over by Tom Harrisson and others. Harrisson was instrumental in the organization of pioneering surveys of the great crested grebe . Increased mobility of birdwatchers ensured that books like Where to Watch Birds by John Gooders became best-sellers. By the 1960s air travel became feasible and long-distance holiday destinations opened up. By 1965, Britain's first birding tour company, Ornitholidays had been started by Lawrence Holloway. Travelling far away also led to problems in name usage: British birds such as "wheatear", "heron" and "swallow" needed adjectives to differentiate them in places where there were several related species. The falling cost of air travel made flying to remote birding destinations

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3780-485: The 2011 census the total number of literates in Purbasthali II CD Block was 133,138 (70.35% of the population over 6 years) out of which males numbered 73,913 (75.64% of the male population over 6 years) and females numbered 59,225 (64.70% of the female population over 6 years). The gender disparity (the difference between female and male literacy rates) was 10.94%. As per 2001 census, Purbasthali II block had

3870-411: The 2011 census, in Purbasthali II CD block, amongst the 88 inhabited villages, all villages had schools, 25 villages had two or more primary schools, 21 villages had at least 1 primary and 1 middle school and 15 villages had at least 1 middle and 1 secondary school. More than 6,000 schools (in erstwhile Bardhaman district) serve cooked midday meal to more than 900,000 students. Purbasthali College

3960-496: The Anglophone countries or Scandinavia. In the 20th century, most of the birding activity in North America was done on the east coast. The publication of Roger Tory Peterson's field guide in 1934 led to the initial increase in birding. Binoculars, an essential piece of birding equipment, became more easily available after World War II, making the hobby more accessible. The practice of travelling long distances to see rare bird species

4050-601: The Audubon Society, which was against the killing of birds, and the American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). The availability of first the bicycle and then the car increased the mobility of birdwatchers and this made new locations accessible. Networks of birdwatchers in the UK began to form in the late 1930s under the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). The BTO saw the potential to produce scientific results through

4140-948: The Bargadari Act of 1950 recognised the rights of bargadars to a higher share of crops from the land that they tilled, it was not implemented fully. Large tracts, beyond the prescribed limit of land ceiling, remained with the rich landlords. From 1977 onwards major land reforms took place in West Bengal. Land in excess of land ceiling was acquired and distributed amongst the peasants. Following land reforms land ownership pattern has undergone transformation. In 2013-14, persons engaged in agriculture in Purbasthali II CD Block could be classified as follows: bargadars 3.95%, patta (document) holders 13.67%, small farmers (possessing land between 1 and 2 hectares) 5.73%, marginal farmers (possessing land up to 1 hectare) 19.12% and agricultural labourers 57.53%. In 2003-04 net cropped area in Purbasthali II CD Block

4230-467: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2016, over 45 million Americans consider themselves birders. North American birders were estimated to have spent as much as US$ 32 billion in 2001. The spending is on the rise around the world. Kuşcenneti National Park (KNP) at Lake Manyas, a Ramsar site in Turkey, was estimated to attract birders who spent as much as US$ 103,320,074 annually. Guided bird tours have become

4320-561: The US was Birds through an Opera Glass (1889) by Florence Bailey . Birding in North America was focused in the early and mid-20th century in the eastern seaboard region, and was influenced by the works of Ludlow Griscom and later Roger Tory Peterson . Bird Neighbors (1897) by Neltje Blanchan , an early birding book, sold over 250,000 copies. It was illustrated with color photographs of stuffed birds. The organization and networking of those interested in birds began through organizations like

4410-511: The US), probably has the most subscribers, followed by the English-language fork of Eurobirdnet , Birding-Aus from Australia, SABirdnet from South Africa and Orientalbirding. The increasing availability of mobile devices in the 2010s allowed the smartphone to become a useful tool for birding. Mobile apps can be used as replacements for physical birding field guides, such as the digital version of

4500-540: The United States of America. Since the second half of the 20th century an increasing number of people in developing countries have engaged in this activity, such as in the Degua Tembien district of Ethiopia. Transnational birding has played an important role in this, as birders in developing countries usually take up the pastime under the influence of foreign cultures with a history of birding. A majority of transnational birders are middle-aged, male, affluent, and belong to

4590-553: The ability to store and play large quantities of information, pocket-sized devices allow a full birding multimedia library to be taken into the field and mobile Internet access makes obtaining and transmitting information possible in near real time. New technologies are allowing birdwatching activities to take place over the Internet, using robotic camera installations and mobile phones set up in remote wildlife areas. Projects such as CONE [1] allow users to observe and photograph birds over

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4680-437: The attractiveness of the breeding migration or roosting sites for birds, flush birds, and otherwise increase the pressure on birds and their habitats (e.g., luring birds out of their hideouts and stressing them by playing their calls or exposing birds and their nests to predators). Furthermore, other impacts include disturbance to birds, the environment, local cultures and the economy. Methods to reduce negative impact and improve

4770-485: The birds are more active and vocal making them easier to spot. Certain locations such as a local patch of forest, wetland and coast may be favoured according to the location and season. Seawatching , or pelagic birding, is a type of birding where observers based at a coastal watch point, such as a headland, watch birds flying over the sea. This is one form of pelagic birding, though birders also seek pelagic species from seagoing vessels. Weather plays an important role in

4860-478: The changes in river course. A comparative study of the Survey of India topographic sheet published in 1973 with the remote sensing images of 1989-90&1992-93 coupled with observations from recent field visits, confirms the process of formation of this vast wetland besides some small but constant changes in topography occurring every year. This wetland is still connected with the river Ganga(Bhagirathi) and its hydrology

4950-421: The enclosed islands get submerged. The area is extremely rich in alluvial soil content. Hence an intense agriculture is practiced on both sides of the river. Main crops Rice, maize, corn, jute, mustard, potato and all sorts of vegetables are the main produce. There are a number of fruit orchards and horticulture gardens flank the river course. Even on the riverine isle and sandy river banks cultivation goes on during

5040-551: The growing trade in feathers in the United States while the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds began in Britain. The phrase "bird watching" appeared for the first time as the title of the book Bird Watching by Edmund Selous in 1901. In North America, the identification of birds, once thought possible only by shooting, was made possible by the emergence of optics and field identification guides. The earliest field guide in

5130-458: The hobby is an aspect of ornithology, coordinated in the UK by the British Trust for Ornithology . The Cornell Lab of Ornithology hosts many citizen-science projects to track the number and distribution of bird species across North America. These surveys help scientists note major changes from year to year which may occur as a result of climate change , disease, predation, and other factors. Because of their accessibility and ubiquity, birds are

5220-513: The largest Wintering Ground of Migratory Birds in Bengal. THE JUNGLEES succeeded in convincing all stake holders the problems and prospects of Purbasthali. And offered an alternate economics vis-a-vis unfolded our proposed Eco-Tourism plans and a Biological Research Station, for rural benefits and conservation. Their endeavour is now best rewarded through a gift of land by the local village board where facilities have been set up. Purbasthali now receives

5310-483: The late 1980s. The income level of birders has been found to be well above average. The Sibley Guide to Birds , published in 2000, had sold 500,000 copies by 2002. It was found that the number of birdwatchers rose, but there appeared to be a drop in birdwatching in the backyard. According to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service study, birders contributed $ 36 billion to the US economy in 2006, and one fifth (20%) of all Americans are identified as birdwatchers. According to

5400-615: The local school students, village board, political parties, police boatmen and fishermen through National Environmental Awareness Campaign over the years 1990-91, 92, 93 and 1994, 1995, sponsored by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India. Inspired, they conducted the Mid-Winter Waterfowl census in 1992 under the aegis of International Waterfowl and Wetland Research Bureau (London) and Asian Wetland Bureau (Malaysia), following which Purbasthali Gangetic Isle complex emerged as

5490-399: The maximum number of eco-tourists in Bengal during the winter months. THE JUNGLEES thought Globally on Bird Migration (which is a Global phenomenon) and acted Locally to protect them for a good rural economy through Eco-Tourism. As per the 2011 Census of India , Purbasthali had a total population of 4,207 of which 2,128 (51%) were males and 2,079 (49%) were females. Population below 6 years

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5580-401: The meandering river Ganga, over last 40 years, the area has transformed into a closed loop, allowing emergence of the oxbow lake. This channel of water course in a length of about 10 kilometers feeds the oxbow lake with thin connectivity with the main river with shoals forming at the river mouth. The process of rapid and growing sedimentation threatens to cut off the channel in near future. Thus

5670-550: The networks, unlike the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) which like the Audubon Society originated from the bird protection movement. Like the AOU in North America, the BOU had a focus mainly on collection-based taxonomy. The BOU changed focus to ecology and behaviour only in the 1940s. The BTO movement towards 'organized birdwatching' was opposed by the RSPB, which claimed that

5760-403: The numbers of birdwatchers increases, there is growing concern about the impact of birdwatching on the birds and their habitat. Birdwatching etiquette is evolving in response to this concern. Some examples of birdwatching etiquette include promoting the welfare of birds and their environment, limiting use of photography, pishing and playback devices to mitigate stress caused to birds, maintaining

5850-417: The occurrence of rare birds. In Britain, suitable wind conditions may lead to drift migration , and an influx of birds from the east. In North America, birds caught in the tail-end of a hurricane may be blown inland. Birders may take part in censuses of bird populations and migratory patterns which are sometimes specific to individual species. These birdwatchers may also count all birds in a given area, as in

5940-432: The person who watches birds for any reason at all, and should not be used to refer to the serious birder. Twitching is a British term used to mean "the pursuit of a previously located rare bird." In North America, it is more often called chasing . The term twitcher , sometimes misapplied as a synonym for birder , is reserved for those who travel long distances to see a rare bird that would then be ticked , or counted on

6030-410: The places they visit. In addition to this, birdwatching tourism is considered a niche market of nature-based tourism. Birdwatching and other niche tourism markets are good for market diversification and mitigating the impacts of seasonality in a tourism market as well as bringing economic resources to remote communities, thus diversifying their economies and contributing to biodiversity conservation. It

6120-478: The population in Purbasthali II CD Block. Muslims numbered 67,110 and formed 31.60% of the population. Christians numbered 275 and formed 0.13% of the population. Others numbered 439 and formed 0.21% of the population. In Bardhaman district the percentage of Hindu population has been declining from 84.3% in 1961 to 77.9% in 2011 and the percentage of Muslim population has increased from 15.2% in 1961 to 20.7% in 2011. Languages of Purbasthali II CD block (2011) At

6210-446: The post monsoon period from September till June. Banks of the channel and river course is dotted with villages under dense tree cover while paddy fields and grass lands border the wetland. The oxbow lake of Purbasthali sprawls over an area 3.50 km. in the post monsoon period of winter months. Beyond the lake, this river fed eco-system also forms a cluster of large and small islands comprise Purbasthali Gangetic Isle Complex. Formed by

6300-711: The present course of the main river shifts further eastward while the original bed holds the loop with stranded water. Remote sensing images of the wetland clearly establishes the differences of turbidity between the main river and the wetland which has sandy clay sediment and crystal clear waters because of sedimentation of suspended solid particles in the stagnant stretches. On the basis of Geo-tectonic considerations, Purbasthali-Nabadwip region has been undergoing steady changes since time immemorial. River course has changed many times, due to geo-tectonic movements, forming small islands and oxbow lakes over last hundreds of years. The tectonic plates here are under constant collision resulted

6390-508: The radio in Eric Simms' Countryside program but this did not catch on. In the 1960s people began using the telephone and some people became hubs for communication. In the 1970s some cafés, such as that in Cley, Norfolk run by Nancy Gull, became centers for meeting and communication. This was replaced by telephone hotline services such as "Birdline" and "Bird Information Service". With the advent of

6480-536: The required recordings much more flexible than tape-based models. It is now possible to take a recording of every bird call you are likely to encounter in a given area out into the field stored on a device that will slip into your pocket and to retrieve calls for playback and comparison in any order you choose. As the technology continues to improve, researchers and hobby birders have started using convolutional neural networks to mine sound recordings to identify and track specific bird calls. Photography has always been

6570-416: The serious to trivial, notifying others of rarities, questioning the taxonomy or identification of a species, discussing field guides and other resources, asking for advice and guidance, or organizing groups to help save habitats. Occasional postings are mentioned in academic journals and therefore can be a valuable resource for professional and amateur birders alike. One of the oldest, Birdchat (based in

6660-554: The study of birds using formal scientific methods. The first recorded use of the term birdwatcher was in 1712 by William Oldsworth. The term birding was also used for the practice of fowling or hunting with firearms as in Shakespeare 's The Merry Wives of Windsor (1602): "She laments sir... her husband goes this morning a-birding." The terms birding and birdwatching are today used by some interchangeably, although some participants prefer birding , partly because it includes

6750-499: The time of the 2011 census, 98.53% of the population spoke Bengali and 0.90% Santali as their first language. As per poverty estimates obtained from household survey for families living below poverty line in 2005, rural poverty in Purbasthali II CD Block was 42.76%. In Purbasthali II CD Block in 2011, amongst the class of total workers, cultivators formed 17.35%, agricultural labourers 44.48%, household industry workers 11.73% and other workers 26.44%. Purbasthali II CD Block

6840-443: The total area irrigated in Purbasthali II CD Block was 1,859.55 hectares, out of which 925.60 hectares were irrigated by river lift irrigation and 933.95 hectares by deep tube wells. In 2013-14, Purbasthali II CD Block had offices of 6 commercial banks and 2 gramin banks . Purbasthali II CD Block has 7 ferry services and 8 originating/ terminating bus routes. The Bandel-Katwa branch line passes through this CD Block and there

6930-517: The value of conservation are the subject of research. Many birders occupy themselves with observing local species (birding in their "local patch" ), but may also make specific trips to observe birds in other locales. The most active times of the year for birding in temperate zones are during the spring or fall migrations when the greatest variety of birds may be seen. On these occasions, large numbers of birds travel north or south to wintering or nesting locations. Early mornings are typically better as

7020-954: The visiting teams so far. Oxbow lake is famous here for thousands of migratory birds coming here from far-off places including Siberia in winters. Hundreds of bird species ( Birds of Purbasthali ) can be seen here. People from far-off places come here for birding . The vegetation of the area ( [1] ) is portrayed by the arborescent species, for example, Simul (Salmalia malabarica Schott.), Neem (Azadirachta indica), Amlaki (Phyllanthus embica), Coconut (cocos nucifera), Khejur (Phoenix dactylifera L.), Tal (Borassus flabellifer L.), Bat (Ficus bengalensis L.), Asvattha (Ficus religiosa L.), Palas (Butea frondosa), Krishnachuda (Caesalpinia Pulcherrima), Am (Mangifera indica L.) and shrubby species, for example, ashsheoda (Glycosmis pentaphylla Corr.), Rajanigandha (Polyanthes tuberosa Willd.), Ghentu or Bhat (Clerodendron infortunatum Gaertn.), Kurabaka (Barleria Cristata), Gulancha (Tinospora cordifolia), Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), On

7110-405: The visual characteristics of a bird, but also its patterns of movement and its sound, has wide applications for birders in the field. This class of product includes devices that can play (and in some cases record) a range of digital media, typically video, audio and still image files. Many modern digital cameras , mobile phones , and camcorders can be classified as portable media players . With

7200-473: The web; similarly, robotic cameras set up in largely inhospitable areas are being used to attempt the first photographs of the rare ivory-billed woodpecker . These systems represent new technologies in the birdwatcher's toolkit. In the early 1950s, the only way of communicating new bird sightings was through the postal system and it was generally too late for the recipients to act on the information. In 1953 James Ferguson-Lees began broadcasting rare bird news on

7290-433: The west in districts of Nadia and Burdwan. Their subsequent surveys and interactions with local villagers soon revealed that each winter countless ducks fall prey to meta hungry poachers' gun, leading to the economics of seasonal restaurant supply. Undaunted, they responded to this challenge by promptly launching on an intense anti-poaching campaign in the region against the menace. In the crusade, they reach out to involve

7380-458: The whole area get inundated as reported by the local people. However, in normal years, the spatial extent of water within this wetland varies from 2.075 sg.km. in pre-monsoon period to 3.15 sg.km. in post-monsoon period. The water quality data of Purbasthali Wetland, presented in Table, shows the excellent qualities of all the parameters. The water of Purbasthali is clearest of all the wetland studied by

7470-516: Was 15,558 hectares and the area in which more than one crop was grown was 10,890 hectares. In 2013-14, Purbasthali II CD Block produced 25,887 tonnes of Aman paddy , the main winter crop from 8,353 hectares, 1,354 tonnes of Aus paddy (summer crop) from 485 hectares, 15,459 tonnes of Boro paddy (spring crop) from 4,507 hectares, 139 tonnes of wheat from 45 hectares, 104,835 tonnes of jute from 4,985 hectares and 2,774 tonnes of potatoes from 258 hectares. It also produced pulses and oilseeds. In 2013-14,

7560-715: Was 17.84 per cent. Scheduled castes at 55,528 formed around one-fourth the population. Scheduled tribes numbered 6,459. Large villages (with 4,000+ population) in Purbasthali II CD Block are (2011 census figures in brackets): Purbasthali (4,207), Krishnabati (4,186), Chhatni (4,415), Uttar Shrirampur (4,187), Patuli (4,681), Majida (9,267), Uttar Lakshmipur (4,697), Sinhari (6,911), Ukhra (5,011), Nimdaha (6,873), Biswarambha (6,169), Hrishi (4,967), Falea (6,944), Kashthasali (4,343), Chupi (7,159), Palaspuli (4,642) and Parulia (6,447). Other villages in Purbasthali II CD Block include (2011 census figures in brackets): Muksimpara (823), Mertala (3,046) and Jhauadanga (2,842). As per

7650-425: Was 23,091. Scheduled Castes numbered 55,456 (26.11%) and Scheduled Tribes numbered 7,920 (3.73%). As per 2001 census, Purbasthali II block had a total population of 188,149, out of which 97,024 were males and 91,125 were females. Purbasthali II block registered a population growth of 18.89 per cent during the 1991-2001 decade. Decadal growth for Bardhaman district was 14.36 per cent. Decadal growth in West Bengal

7740-577: Was 379. The total number of literates in Purbasthali was 3,215 (83.99% of the population over 6 years). Purbasthali railway station is 73 km from Bandel and 8 km from Nabadwipdham on the Bandel-Katwa Branch Line of Eastern Railway . By road, from Bandel on S.T.K.K.Road (Saptagram TribeniKalna Katwa Road) it is 80 km towards north, 38 km towards south from Katwa. Purbasthali Rural Hospital at Purbasthali (with 30 beds)

7830-420: Was aided by the availability of cars and their associated infrastructure. Nevertheless, distance to urban centres may still affect number of birdwatchers participating in observations of rare bird species. About 4% of North Americans were interested in birding in the 1970s, and in the mid-1980s at least 11% were found to watch birds at least 20 days of the year. The number of birders was estimated at 61 million in

7920-438: Was established at Parulia in 2009. In 2014, Purbasthali II CD Block had 1 block primary health centre and 4 primary health centres with total 37 beds and 5 doctors (excluding private bodies). It had 26 family welfare subcentres. 3,665 patients were treated indoor and 265,684 patients were treated outdoor in the hospitals, health centres and subcentres of the CD Block. Purbasthali Rural Hospital at Purbasthali (with 30 beds)

8010-422: Was originally started as a club for "listers", but it now serves a much broader audience. Still, the ABA continues to publish an official annual report of North American list standings. Competitive birdwatching events include: Prominent national and continental organizations concerned with birding include the British Trust for Ornithology and Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in the United Kingdom, and

8100-420: Was rich with a mammoth check-list of 102 species of water birds and arboreal glittered with Baikal Teals, Spoon Bills- nowhere could be seen in Bengal. This wintering ground located on geographic co-ordinates of 23.25N & 88.22E is essentially a cluster of riverine isle scattered over a 20 km long stretch on Ganga that flows forming oxbows, bordering the populace of Mayapur in the east and Purbasthali in

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