Sri Vijaya Puram, Jan. 25: The Department of Environment and Forests will be organizing the 1st ‘Island Bird Festival’ from Feb. 14 to 18. In connection with the celebration of this Festival, a series of pre-festival events are being organized across the islands. The pre-events were organized by the Department of Environment and Forests, in coordination with the Andaman Avian Club, simultaneously in all Forest Divisions from Nicobar to Diglipur.
The pre festival activities witnessed enthusiastic participation from students, teachers, general public, PRI representatives, researchers, birdwatchers, and officers and staff of the Department of Environment and Forests. The events were aimed at creating awareness about birds and their conservation.
The events organized include Guided Ecological Walks focusing on learning about local ecosystems, and interactive competitions such as Feed the Birds Station, Build-a-Nest Challenge, Sketch-a-Bird Session, and a Quiz on Birds. These activities were designed to promote interest in ornithology and foster a sense of responsibility towards biodiversity conservation among participants. The pre-events received an encouraging response from people of all age groups and successfully highlighted the rich avifaunal diversity of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Department stated that such initiatives play a vital role in spreading environmental awareness and building momentum ahead of the ‘Island Bird Festival’ in February.
More such programmes will be organized on 31st January and 7th February, 2026. The upcoming Island Bird Festival is expected to be a landmark event, bringing together conservationists, researchers, bird enthusiasts, and the public to celebrate and conserve the unique birdlife of the islands. The details regarding the festival, program schedule, registration etc. are available on the website https://forest.and.nic.in/ibf