Media Release
Mangaluru, Mar 6: The Campus Bird Count (CBC) 2026 was successfully conducted on February 14 and 15 at the 17-acre St Aloysius Institute of Management and Information Technology (AIMIT), near Kotekar Beeri, a constituent campus of St Aloysius College (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru. The event formed part of the nationwide Great Backyard Bird Count organized by Bird Count India in collaboration with eBird.
The Campus Bird Count 2026 was conducted under the guidance of Kiran Vati K and Glavin Thomas Rodrigues, assistant professors in the department of zoology, with the active participation of faculty members and students of the department of zoology. The survey involved systematic observation and documentation of avian diversity across different habitat patches within the campus.
During this year’s two-day survey, 51 species of birds were recorded from the AIMIT campus. Notably, the different bird species found across the campus were captured through the lens of Kiran Vati K, adding valuable visual documentation to the observations. With this addition, a cumulative total of 73 species has been documented from the AIMIT campus since its participation in the Campus Bird Count began in 2022, highlighting the ecological richness of the 17-acre green space.
The AIMIT campus, characterized by open fields, tree cover, and semi-urban habitat, supports diverse birdlife. Species such as Indian peafowl, rock pigeon, and spotted dove were commonly observed. Wetland-associated birds including white-breasted waterhen, common sandpiper, Indian pond-heron, eastern cattle egret, and great egret reflected the habitat heterogeneity of the campus landscape.
Raptors such as crested serpent-eagle, shikra, black kite, and Brahminy kite were recorded, indicating a stable ecological food chain. Resident and seasonal visitors—including Ashy Drongo, Greater racket-tailed drongo, Green Warbler, and Indian Paradise-Flycatcher—were also documented during the survey.
Woodland and canopy species such as White-cheeked Barbet, Black-rumped Flame back, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Black-hooded Oriole, and Indian Golden Oriole (a seasonal breeding visitor in peninsular India) were sighted. Smaller insectivorous and nectar-feeding birds including Pale-billed Flowerpecker, Purple-rumped Sunbird, Loten’s Sunbird, and Golden-fronted Leafbird were frequently observed across the campus.
The diversity of bulbuls, babblers, munias, mynas, and flycatchers—including Black-naped Monarch, Oriental Magpie-Robin, Orange-headed Thrush, Scaly-breasted Munia, and White-rumped Munia—demonstrates the campus’s suitability for feeding, roosting, and breeding activities.
The continued monitoring of avian diversity at AIMIT since 2022 reflects the institution’s sustained commitment to biodiversity conservation and citizen science. As a part of St Aloysius College (Deemed to be University), the AIMIT campus plays a significant role in supporting urban and semi-urban wildlife habitats.
The Campus Bird Count initiative provides students and faculty with meaningful experiential learning opportunities while contributing valuable data to national biodiversity databases.