THE EVENT :

The Udaipur Bird Fair is being organized on 20-22 December (Sat-Mon) 2014. The event will be three days long and all bird, wildlife, environment and nature lovers are invited to experience the wonderful sights and sounds of the wildlife rich habitats of Udaipur and its environs.

Udaipur, the Lake City of India with lakes like Pichola, Fatehsagar, Swaroop Sagar, Goverdhan Sagar, Udai Sagar, Badi Lake, Baghdarrah etc. make a complex of water bodies. The lake complex and forests of Udaipur support a large diversity of arboreal, terrestrial and aquatic resident and migratory birds. During winter season many water bodies are flooded by migratory water fowls from Himalayas, Central Asia and Europe. Celebration of Udaipur Bird Fair – 2014 is an effort to put Udaipur on the bird watching map of India as a popular birding and eco-tourism destination and is proposed to be held as an annual event.

ABOUT UDAIPUR AND ITS LAKE COMPLEX :

Udaipur district is naturally endowed with about 80 significant water bodies. There is an interesting cluster of lakes in and around Udaipur town namely – Pichola Lake, Udaisagar Lake, Jaisamand Lake, Fatehsagar Lake, Badi Lake and Goverdhan Sagar. Many water bodies of rural areas like Menar, Vallabhnagar, Mangalwad, Sei Dam etc. are worth birding. Few water bodies of surrounding districts like Jawai of Pali district, Sabela and Gap Sagar of Dungarpur district, Sareri of Bhilwara district and Vagan Dam of Chittorgarh district are worth exploring.

The Bird Fair is being held at the famous Pichola Lake of Udaipur. Beautiful “Lake Palace” and “Jag Mandir” are situated inside this lake. Pichola is surrounded on one side by the famous City Palace and on the other sides by a series of green hills.

A large number of resident and local migratory birds can be seen at Pichola at different time of the year. During the winter months, migratory birds also arrive here in great numbers. The southern end of Pichola is specially rich in avian life.

LOGISTICS :

The most convenient way to travel to Udaipur is by road/Rail from Jaipur or Ahmedabad as these places are well connected by rail, road and air.

If you plan to travel by train, advance reservation will have to be made. Similarly, if you want to combine your visit to Udaipur with a visit to nearby destinations such as Jaipur or Jodhpur, advance reservation of accommodation is also a must.

HOW TO REACH:

Udaipur district is located in southern Rajasthan and borders Rajasmand district on the North, Chittorgarh district on the East, Banaskantha and Sabarkantha of Gujarat on the South and Pali and Sirohi district in the West. Udaipur is well connected from Ahmedabad by Rail and road. National Highway 8 connects Udaipur from Ahmedabad.

Ahmedabad is 250 km away from Udaipur. Jaipur is 400 km away from Udaipur and is well connected by Rail and road. The nearest airport is Dabok (20 km) which is well connected from Delhi and Mumbai. There are regular  trains between Nizamuddin and Udaipur and Gwalior and Udaipur.

INSTRUCTIONS TO THE PARTICIPANTS:

It is requested to all the bird lovers and participants to bring their own binoculars/telescope/spotting scope/camera/field guides etc. Wear light/ soft colored clothes such as Khaki/ brown/ grey/ green etc. for Bird Fair/ Birding. Light woolens are recommended.

WEATHER : Pleasant (Temperature – Around 10⁰-12⁰ during night and around 25⁰-28⁰C in the day.)

PROGRAM:-

DAY ONE: 20^th December, 2014 (Saturday)

Bird Fair

Venue      :   Pichola Lake, Southern end near Jungle Safari Park, Udaipur (Rajasthan )

Time         :     8.00 AM to 12.00 NOON

Briefing    :    At the Venue ( 8.00 AM to 8.30 AM)

Workshop       :  By Dr. Asad Rahmani, Director BNHS

Subject:   Bird Tourism in India and its potential in Udaipur region

Venue      :     RCA Hall, Udaipur

Time         :     3.00 to 6.00 PM

DAY TWO: 21^th December, 2014 (Sunday)

FIELD VISITS : Birding at various water bodies and forest areas of Udaipur and surrounding districts in small groups of 5-10 persons. Birders are advised to report at Van Bhawan, Chetak Circle at 6.00 AM. A vehicle will be allotted to each group to reach their destinations. Birders will be provided packed breakfast/ lunch in the field. If needed, guides/ escorts would be made available by the organizers.

List of destinations is as following

Birders are requested to select and inform about the water body of their likings well in advanced.

DAY THREE: 22^nd December, 2014 (Monday)

Workshop       :  By Participants

Subject           :  Status of various wetlands of South Rajasthan (Birders have to submit their report regarding wetland visited by them)

Venue      :     RCA Hall, Udaipur

Time        :     9.30 to 1.00 PM

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