Wadhwan city to get bird atlas, first in Saurashtra region & second in Gujarat

3 min readAhmedabadJun 17, 2026 12:36 AM IST

After Ahmedabad, Wadhwan in Surendranagar district is all set to get its bird atlas. A group of birders from Gujarat and other parts of the country, last week, completed the summer phase of The Wadhwan City Bird Atlas (WCBA) project to study the diversity, distribution, abundance and mobility pattern of birds in the 44 square kilometre area of the city which is known for its rich avian diversity.

The first-of-its-kind project for the Saurashtra region is a joint long-term, not-for-profit, volunteer-driven initiative to study the birds of Wadhwan. The project is being initiated and executed by the Collective Systems Lab for Animal Behaviour (ColLAB) and Ecology, Evolution, and Climate Change Research Cluster at Ahmedabad University, in collaboration with the Bird Conservation Society, Gujarat (BCSG), Gujarat Forest Department, Bird Count India, eBird India and Surendranagar Municipal Corporation.

One of the lead organisers of the initiative and an ornithologist at Ahmedabad University Devvratsinh Mori said that once completed, this will be the first bird atlas of Saurashtra region and second for Gujarat. Mori is also a member of the Gujarat State Board for Wildlife (GSBW) headed by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

Speaking about the project, Mori, who belongs to Wadhwan city, said, “I already have good data of avian diversity of Wadhwan and the surrounding periphery. The presence of 259 bird species is recorded in Wadhwan which is around 42% of the total 621 bird species found in Gujarat. But I wanted to do a more intense study on the birds like distribution of species, their abundance, seasonal movement etc..”

Mori said he always wanted to do something like this in his native, Wadhwan.

According to Mori, as part of the project, they are going to cover the cluster of Wadhwan, Surendranagar, Ratanpar, Joravarnagar and Dudhrej spanning around 44 square kilometres.

He said that the first exercise of data collection for the project was carried out by 120 birders on June 12 and 13 for the summer season. Similar exercise will be carried out during monsoon and winter before collating the data and coming out with the bird atlas for Wadhwan. The 120 birders who participated in the exercise were not only from Gujarat, but also from states such as Kerala, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka.

Story continues below this ad

The initiative was inaugurated on June 11 in the presence of Gujarat Forest and Environment Minister Arjun Modhwadia and other dignitaries from the Surendranagar district.

Mori said, “I have data of 259 species in the region. But following this extensive study in three different phases — summer, monsoon and winter — we will come to know the exact number of species currently in the region along with various other parameters.”

In February 2026, the Ahmedabad University in collaboration with the BCSG, Bird Count India and eBird India had released a bird atlas of Ahmedabad city, recording the presence of 181 bird species. It was the first bird atlas for any city of Gujarat.

Mori said following the field work exercise for bird atlas of Wadhwan and taking inspiration from the same, some birders from Jamnagar have also announced their decision to come out with a bird atlas for the Jamnagar city.

Parimal A Dabhi works with The Indian Express as Chief of Bureau, focusing on the state of Gujarat. Leveraging his seniority and access, Dabhi is recognized for his reporting on the complex interplay of law, politics, social justice, and governance within the region.
Expertise & Authority

Core Authority (Social Justice and Law): Dabhi is a key source for in-depth coverage of caste-based violence, discrimination, and the state’s response to social movements, particularly those involving Patidar, Dalit and OBC communities. His reporting focuses on the societal and legal fallout of these issues:

Caste and Discrimination: He has reported extensively on social boycotts and instances of violence against Dalits (such as the attack on a Dalit wedding party in Patan), the community’s demands (like refusing to pick carcasses), and the political responses from leaders like Jignesh Mevani.

Judicial and Legal Affairs: He tracks significant, high-stakes legal cases and judgments that set precedents in Gujarat, including the convictions under the stringent Gujarat Animal Preservation Act (cow slaughter), 2002 Gujarat riots and developments in cases involving former police officers facing charges of wrongful confinement and fake encounters.

Political and Administrative Oversight: Dabhi provides essential coverage of the inner workings of the state government and the opposition, ensuring a high degree of Trustworthiness in political analysis:

State Assembly Proceedings: He frequently reports directly from the Gujarat Assembly, covering Question Hour, discussion on various Bills, debates on budgetary demands for departments like Social Justice, and ministerial statements on issues like illegal mining, job quotas for locals, and satellite-based farm loss surveys.

Electoral Politics: His work details key political developments, including election analysis (voter turnout records), party organizational changes (like the end of C R Patil’s tenure as BJP chief), and campaign dynamics. … Read More