# Bird Tourism & Bird Festival
#
- [Bird Tourism in Karnataka](#identification-information-section)
- [Overview](#Overview)
- [Market](#Bird-Watchers/Hobbyists)
- [Bird Clusters & Sanctuaries in Karnataka](#unit-test-section)
- [Bird Sanctuaries](#bird-sanctuaries)
- [Bird Clusters](#bird-clusters)
- [Past Bird Festivals](#regression-test-section)
- [Future Bird Festivals](#integration-test-section)
- [Community Engagement ](#user-acceptance-test-section-to-be-completed-by-the-business-office)
- [Bird Photography](#user-acceptance-test-strategy)
- [Bird Clubs](#user-acceptance-test-cases)

### Overview

Karnataka is home to more than **35% of the bird species** found in India. The various habitats of Karnataka provide an excellent landscape for several resident and migratory species of birds.

Birdwatching is becoming increasingly popular among Indian tourists. Karnataka is one of the largest state with many bird sanctuaries, bird watching clubs and also bird photographers. Also the culture of literature in Kannada is rich in Avian Life observations.
#### Eminent poets from Kumaravyasa, Ragahavanka, Kuvempu and Poornachandra Tejaswi have listed many birds in their literature.

Birdwatching tourism attracts experienced travellers and Karnataka offers multiple destinations to cater to this segment. Therefore, the expectation is that this niche market will recover relatively fast when COVID-19 restrictions decrease. Birdwatching offers many opportunities, including younger travellers becoming more interested and awareness and conservation of wetland habitats.

Bird-watching tourism has the potential to generate funds for protected areas , engage the public about the value of natural ecosystems, and provide alternative livelihoods .

### Bird Watchers/Hobbyists
Bird-watching tourism in Karnataka has grown steadily over the past decade, especially in areas with high concentrations of endemics .

Bird-watchers are especially motivated by rare birds , and the opportunity to add them to a “life list,” a list of all the species that a bird-watcher has observed in his or her lifetime.
Listers travel to destinations where they know birds on their list have been spotted before. They are mostly hardcore birders and are interested in seeing rare birds in their natural habitat.

They are well-prepared and have a lot of knowledge on the birds they are interested in. Because they are mainly interested in a few birds, they have very specific demands. Because rare birds are often endemic or threatened, the species bird-watchers are most interested in seeing also tend to have the most conservation importance.

### Bird Photographers

Photographers are birders who mainly aim to photograph birds. Their main interest is to get a good photo of their bird of choice, and they are less interested in information about the birds or their habitat.

### Clusters for Bird Tourism

## Bird Sanctuaries & clusters

Karnataka has 27 species that fall under various categories of
the IUCN Red List, of which five are Critically Endangered (CR),
eight Endangered (EN), and 14 Vulnerable (VU). Additionally,
29 are Near Threatened (NT).

16 species of birds seen in Karnataka are endemic to the
Western Ghats

### Bird Sanctuaries
Where are the species or attractions sought by tourists found?

Five clusters of areas emerged: Western Ghats (Agumbe), Ranganathittu, Kokrebellur and the areas around Srirangapatna (Mandya), Coorg , Dandeli.
Bandipur, Nagarhole and BR Hills another cluster .

| \# | Bird Sanctuaries | District | Species Count | |
| --- | --------- | ----- | ---------------- | ----------------- |
| 1 | Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary | | | |
| 2 | Mandagadde Bird Sanctuary | | | |
| 3 | Magadi Bird Sanctuary | | | |
| 4 | Bonal Bird Sanctuary | | | |
| 5 | Gudavi Bird Sanctuary | | | |
| 6 | Bankapura Peacock Sanctuary | | | |
| 7 | Attiveri Bird Sanctuary | | | |
| 8 | Ghataprabha Bird Sanctuary | | | |
| 9 | Adichunchanagiri Bird Sanctuary | | | |
| 10 | Kaggaladu Bird Sanctuary | | | |
| 11 | Ramanagara Vulture Sanctuary | | | |
| 12 | Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary | | | |
| 13 | Kokkrebellur Bird Sanctuary | | | |

## Bird Festivals

The Karnataka Bird Festival is being held annually in the month of Jan/Feb. Talks, by eminent speakers, presentations, and bird-watching walks are the main aspects of this bird festival.

| \# | Bird Festivals | Dates | Species Count | |
| --- | --------- | ----- | ---------------- | ----------------- |
| 1 | Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary | March 27-29, 2015 | | |
| 2 | Kali Tiger Reserve | January 8-9, 2016 | | |
| 3 | Daroji Sloth Bear Reserve, Ballari | January 5-7, 2017 | | |
| 4 | Pilikula Nisarga Dhama, Mangaluru | February 9-11, 2018 - | | |
| 5 | Bidar | February 8-10, 2019 | | |
| 6 | Nandi Hills Chikkaballapur | January 17-19, 2020 | | |
| 7 | BRT reserve | 5th – 7th January 2021 | 270 | |

## Strategy to promote Bird Tourism

ENHANCE ACCESS: Enhance access to nature for karnataka residents and visitors to the city.

ENHANCE AWARENESS: Increase awareness of the importance of birds and their needs.

 Increase environmental awareness through education
of school children and the public to build a local
constituency to support bird watching and avian life.

 Engage artists and the creative community in highlighting, profiling and involving the larger community in discussion and awareness of birds in Karnataka.

GROW BIRD RELATED TOURISM: Encourage birding tourism and economic development opportunities related to birding.

To develop and expand bird-based tourism Karnataka Eco Tourism will

 Offer what birdwatchers require, including safety and
security, accessibility to habitats, good infrastructure,
quality of birdlife, and knowledgeable guides.
 Advertise in Eco Maganiznes, Websites about Bird festivals, social media, guidebooks, and printed materials in appropriate languages.
 Specifically target bird loving women, because they are most likely to plan family travel.
 Target advertising through bird and nature organizations and publications.
 Improve data collection related to the birds
 Collaborate closely with Sanctuaries and National Parks
managers to develop, manage and market parks and
their amenities to birders and nature travelers.
 Simplify tour guide certification and accreditation
processes.

## Skill Development

 Develop specialized bird tours as well as
tours that include bird watching combined with some
other wildlife, nature-based, and cultural activities.
 Emphasize the different species of birds that can be
seen by destination, especially endemics, regional
endemics and charismatic species.
 Ensure there are well trained and knowledgeable
guides in each destination and preferably fluent English
speaking guides to receive national and international birders