Kalpetta: Haekki Benakku, Kerala’s first-ever bird festival organised by the Humes Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology at the Humes Campus in Puliyarmala, concluded on Sunday. At the valedictory event of the three-day festival, organisers announced that Haekki Benakku will henceforth be held annually during the same period to coincide with the birth anniversary of Salim Ali, the Birdman of India. The exact dates for next year’s edition will be announced later.

The festival brought together art, traditional art forms, ornithology, conservation-related discussions, and cultural programmes, all centred on birds. Seminars, exhibitions, performances and experiential learning sessions highlighted the role of birds in ecology and culture.

Festival media coordinator Hridhya Revathy said more than 1,000 participants, including ornithologists, bird enthusiasts, bird artists and nature lovers, from across South India attended.

Addressing the gathering, Board of Trustees chairman G Balagopal said the Humes Campus—once a dense hillock—had been transformed into a vibrant space that brought Kerala’s birding community together at short notice. He added that the campus had become an emotional space for participants and congratulated the Humes team for successfully hosting the festival.