Want to identify birds? Log on to online database

Do you wake up every morning to the chirping of that tiny bird outside your bedroom window and wonder what it’s called or which family it belongs to?

Have you given a thought to which are the species of birds that have become extinct in the last two centuries? Now, with the interactive web-based database Indian Biodiversity Information System (IBIS), you can get an answer to all these queries and many more related to avian biodiversity.

The website avis.indianbiodiversity.org has been developed by Anand-based Foundation and Ecological Security (FES). The portal was launched by secretary, ministry of environment and forests, Vijai Sharma in December last year.

“A fundamental prerequisite in the conservation of biological diversity is the availability of adequate and reliable information, which aids in developing conservation strategies. However, much of this data and literature is archived in books and not easily accessible. FES has built upon IBIS so as to enable more people to access and build such information,” says Arpit Deomurari, a naturalist and wildlife photographer who is a part of the portal team. He has been working for the last 10 years to gather the information for the portal.

Avian Information System - AVIS covers nearly 1,329 species in detail from the Indian region. In the coming year, IBIS will expand to build similar portals on mammals, reptiles, amphibians and flora. The interactive portal uses open-source software and helps users to contribute data to the portal that would be periodically reviewed by experts.