Love Birds? Pune Set To Host India’s First Interactive Basic Ornithology Course Beginning 10 December

India’s only interactive course in basic ornithology will start in Pune from 10 December, reports India Today. Ornithology is the branch of zoology the studies birds. The course will be conducted by the Centre for Ornithological Study and Research of the Ela Foundation, on a no profit, no loss basis.

Satish Pande, the foundation’s director, said that it is India’s only interactive course in basic ornithology while adding that it will be the fifteenth certificate course in basic ornithology. The course will have 40 lectures at the AV hall of the Garware college.

The course is on every Monday and Thursday, between 6.30 pm and 9.30 pm. A faculty of renowned ornithologists, having more than 25 years of experience in the field will conduct the interactive lectures.

The course will cover fundamental topics like identification of birds, anatomy, physiology, flight, migration patterns, feeding habits of birds, evolution, role of birds in the ecology, birds as bioindicators, habitats, cultural aspects, bird architects, bird photography, bird call recording, avian diseases, first aid, conservation, methods of field study, technology for preservation and applied ornithological aspects.

The course has four field trips for the introduction of various bird habitats and techniques of observing birds from a scientific perspective. Pande adds the participants of the course will study basic methods of avian biometry and documentation of data.

Savitribai Phule Pune University identifies Ornithology as a credit course and there have been various initiatives to recognise the study of birds.

Pande adds the course has previously been conducted in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and various parts in Maharashtra, with participants from all walks of life with over 1,000 alumni of the course now contributing to conservation of nature.