Chengannur: Chengannur Christian College is home to 19 varieties of birds, reveals the Campus Bird Count initiative organized on the campus. Notably, the last year’s count was 17.

The initiative was organized as an extension of the Great Backyard Bird Counting program in which birdwatchers and students come together to document the number of birds. It was led by the Bhoomitrasena club and Birds Club International United.

According to Bhoomitrasena club coordinator Dr R Abhilash, activities will help the students to know about the bird count, to infer whether there are changes in the regions where these birds exist and to study how climate change affects the bird population.

Meanwhile, among the birds spotted on the campus, jungle babbler is more in number, followed by house crow and common myna. The two new birds discovered this year are shikra and white-throated kingfisher. The campus has the presence of Asian green bee-eater known for its curious ability to thrash insects, including bees, on the perch before eating them.