Parveen Shaikh

Parveen Shaikh is a conservation biologist with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) who has devoted her career to one of the threatened riverine birds, the Endangered Indian Skimmer. In 2016, with support from the Conservation Leadership Programme and BirdLife International, she began pioneering research on the species in the National Chambal Sanctuary.

Recognizing the urgent need for action, she developed the “Helping Skimmer Skim” conservation programme. Its centrepiece, “Guardians of Skimmer”, is a community-led model that brings local residents into the protection of the birds and their habitat. By combining rigorous science with local stewardship, her work has contributed to the recovery and protection of the species.

In recognition of this leadership, Parveen received the Whitley Award 2026. Through the award-supported project, she is now taking her conservation model to key river systems across northern India, strengthening protection for Indian Skimmers and other sandbar-nesting birds while promoting the long-term conservation of India’s river ecosystems.