Sattal Hide Birding is banned!

Interesting! Birders cannot click photos from hides anymore in Nainital. Is it good or bad?

There are two types of bird lovers: those who are interested in watching birds and those who are interested in capturing birds through their lens. Both are right in their way. At Sattal in Nainital district, both are quite common. There is an area called ‘Studio area’ that is adjacent to the lake. This is a hotspot, as mentioned in eBird India, a global portal, with more than 260 species of birds recorded here. At this place, bird photographers find ample opportunities to photograph birds close in their natural settings. Sattal gives ample opportunities to watch colourful birds. One way is to walk around and look for rare birds. Or, if someone is interested, he may hire a bird hide. Many private agencies provided the facility. In both cases, the local guides assist photographers in identifying the bird species.

The Forest Department has recently banned hide photography and started taking action under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. While bird hide photography itself isn’t outright banned in Uttarakhand, using playbacks to lure birds for photography is considered illegal under the Wildlife Protection Act, as it constitutes baiting. Complaints about feeding birds with meat entrails were also coming up. These were the reasons why the forest department was tightening its belts. Sattal is home to about 400 bird species, which means about one-third of India’s bird species are found there. I used to try all methods in Sattal, such as visits to birding hotspots, casual bird walks, hide photography, and tracing targeted birds. Bird-watching is exciting and enriching. But I never agree with disturbing wildlife or teasing them. While hide photography per se is not a criminal act, though feeding the birds for photography¹ is not in good taste. More so, when they are fed meat, it is an obnoxious act for commercial purposes.

I have seen a few guides who used playback recorders and mimicked the voice using birding apps. But apps like Merlin by Cornell Lab, i-Naturalist, and eBird are useful tools for guiding bird researchers. However, Sattal guides are not that bad. Barring a few commercial people, many are leading normal lives. Like Bharatpur or Sultanpur National Parks, the bird guides do not lead great lives. Birding is a seasonal activity in many birding spots. The guides are involved in farming or other traditional activities during the off-season. I met a birding guide who runs a Tea shop near Bharatpur National Park. He had excellent knowledge about birds and their behaviour. To streamline the birding trails, the guides must be certified by the forest department to provide genuine guidance. They must be taught the dos and don’ts, and make the guiding profession more eco-friendly