Popular Bird Sanctuaries in India
The wildlife in general and specifically, birds, India are a treasure house. This country is a home to many beautiful species of local and migratory birds. Therefore, India is often coined as the “Ornithologist’s Paradise”. It is home to about 1250 varieties of bird species that live here in various climatic conditions. In this article, we have listed some of the most popular bird sanctuaries in India.
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary (Keoladeo Ghana National Park)
One of the most popular bird sanctuaries in the world, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary (now known as Keoladeo Ghana National Park) is situated in the city of Bharatpur, in the royal state of Rajasthan. This region was once the hunting place for the Maharaja of Bharatpur, but now it has become the most famous bird sanctuary in India. One can indigenous water birds as well as many other migratory water birds with large animals, including Sambhar, Chital, Boar and Nilgai. This sanctuary is known to be the second home of Siberian cranes in India who travel a distance of about 6500 KM to reach here. Some of the common species of birds found here are eagles, ducks, pipits, owls, kingfishers, flycatchers, pelicans, geese and hawks etc. Click here for Bharatpur travel guide and packages.
Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary
Announced as a water bird reserve in the year 1972, the Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary is situated in the state of Haryana. You can spot an amazing group of both local as well as migratory birds here. Some of the common sights during winters are the Siberian cranes, pelicans, cranes, ruddy shelducks, migratory geese, flamingos, grey lags, bar headed geese, gadwalls, mallards, teals, pochards, shovellers etc. These foreign species of birds are well-complemented by the local birds such as cormorants, plovers, red wattled lapwings, white ibis, herons, spoonbills and painted storks.
Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary
Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary is situated on the banks of River Cauvery in Mandya district of the state of Karnataka. This bird sanctuary sprawls over a group of six islets that were formed during a dam construction on the river during 1700s. Here, you can spot an abundance of aquatic insects making this place a favorite among diverse species of birds. With major efforts of renowned ornithologist Dr. Salim Ali, this bird sanctuary was established in the year 1940. The bird sanctuary houses at least 100 different kinds of birds. At this bird sanctuary, you can spot painted storks, Asian open bill storks, woolly-necked storks, common spoonbills, white ibis, lesser whistling ducks, black-headed ibis, stork-billed kingfishers, egrets, oriental darter, cormorants, Indian shags, herons and many more birds.
Porbandar Bird Sanctuary
Porbandar is not only famed for being the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, but it is also a home to some exotic and a lot of stunning avifauna. Situated right in the middle of the city, the Porbandar Bird Sanctuary provides bird watchers a much-relieving life from the hustle & bustle of city life. Greenery and chirps of many birds attract visitors from all parts of the country. This sanctuary boasts of all sorts of birds like land birds, local birds, migratory birds, water birds etc. While taking a stroll in the sanctuary, you can easily spot many species of flamingo, pelican, Avocet, Pintail, spoonbill, coot, Indian roller, little grebe, little cormorant, shoveler, geese, whistling teal, ducks, stork, heron, ibis, bittern, egret, gull, tern, ruff, jacanas and many more. Click here for Porbandar travel guide and packages.
Apart from these, Kumarakom bird sanctuary (Vembanad bird sanctuary), Salim Ali bird sanctuary, Chilka lake bird sanctuary, Vedanthangal bird sanctuary, Nawabganj bird sanctuary and the Nalsarovar bird sanctuary are some of the other popular bird sanctuaries present in India. For information on India tour and holiday packages booking visit here.