Bird Sanctuaries in India | 11 Places To See Indian Birds 2

With almost 1301 recorded species of birds, India is a paradise for all bird lovers. Be it the terrestrial birds, endemic birds or the migratory ones, India is home to all. A large variety of landscapes and forests attract a number of foreign birds also.  Tourists can visit the top bird watching destinations in order to have a marvellous and unique experience. From Kashmir to Kerala, from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh, there are a lot of bird watching destinations to choose from. Here are a few bird sanctuaries in India which you must include in your wishlist.

1. Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh

The north east is a paradise for any nature lover and this amazing wildlife sanctuary in Bugun Liocichla is one of the bird sanctuaries in India for bird watching. This wildlife sanctuary has a wide range of flora like bamboo thickets, alpine forests and evergreen trees which ensure a large number of birds in that region. The sanctuary is very special for small birds like Tit, Sibia, Nuthatch, Yuhina and Bush Robin. The best time for bird watching here is in the months of March- April or November- January.

2. Jim Corbett National Park

Jim Corbett National Park, Source

Jim Corbett National Park, Source

Located in the foothills of the Western Himalaya in Uttarakhand, Corbett National Park is any bird lover’s paradise. It falls in the biodiversity rich region and covers a wide range of habitats which makes it home to almost over 500 species of birds. The top birds of this region are the Great Slaty Woodpeckers, Ibisbill and Raptors. Spend 4-5 days here and relish the sight of such beautiful birds.

3. Pangot and Sattal, Uttaranchal

One may combine the tour of Jim Corbett National Park along with higher elevation birding at Pangot and Sattal. These are two different destinations located in the Kumaon region which are quite popular for Himalayan Birding experience. Both these locations are a short drive from the town of Nainital. Pangot showcases the birds of higher altitude, whereas Sattal has the birds from the lower Himalayan range. Spot the Cheer Pheasant and the Koklass in Pangot surely.

4. Little Rann of Kutch, Gujarat

Imagine a scene of pink flamingos all around you on a vast dessert of salt. Does not it sound amazing? Yes, this is what you can experience if you visit Little Rann of Kutch in Gujarat. Little Rann of Kutch is the southern part of the Great Rann and offers beautiful wildlife viewing facilities. It is home to the flamingos in India and you can truly spend an entire week gazing at them. One may also spot the Houbara Bustard, cranes, Macqueen’s Bustard, Sociable Lapwing, reef egrets and some other dessert birds.

5. Pong Dam, Himachal Pradesh

The Pong Dam Wetlands are considered as the hidden gems of Kangra as many people are unaware of the prettiness of the place. It is located both on the Himachal Pradesh side as well as on the Punjab side. What you can visualise here is the background of snow capped Dhaula Duan ranges, the wheat and mustard fields in front of it and a large number of bar headed geese out there. Well, this is the common sight during every winter, and this makes it one of the best destinations for bird watching. Apart from these bar headed geese, you may also see waterfowls.

6. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, Goa

Whenever you think of Goa, those amazing beaches come to your mind. Isn’t it? But many people are unaware of the fact that Goa is also an ornithologist’s paradise. This bird sanctuary is situated on the western tip of the Chorao Island in Goa and boasts of being the only bird sanctuary in the state. This entire sanctuary is full of mangroves and thus, is a home to various kinds of birds.  The juxtaposition of the two different biomes of the sea and the Western Ghats result in these large number of shore birds as well as the rare Western Ghats.

7. Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Rajasthan

Also known as the Keoladeo Ghana National Park, this birding destination has been conferred the World Heritage tag. It is home to a wide variety of birds and the major attraction of this place is the magpie robins, lapwings, water hens, storks, herons, spoonbills and egrets. One can also find the very rare Sarus cranes out here. If migratory birds are what interest you, you must visit this place during the winter months. Bharatpur is undoubtedly one of the most popular bird sanctuaries in India and is frequented by tourists from India as well as abroad.

8. Bannerghatta National Park, Karnataka

Situated 22km south of Bangalore, Bannerghatta National Park is also one of the bird sanctuaries in India. It is an excellent bird watching place and is the habitat to a few exotic birds of the South. It has more than 150 species of birds which makes it excellent for scrub birding. This is also the home of endemic yellow throated bulbul.

9. Lava, West Bengal

If you wish to have a walk through the best birding mile, then you must surely visit Lava. Lava is located in the foothills of the Eastern Himalaya in the district of Darjeeling. One just has to agree that eastern Himalayas can offer you a large biodiversity range for you to explore. The Lava Valley along with the nearby Neora Valley is a blissful treat for every bird lover and one can spot the Satyr Tragon and the Rusty- Bellied Shortwing out there.

10. Nameri National Park

It is one of those bird sanctuaries in India where you can spot the rare species of the Great Hornbill. People from all over the world visit this place, just to have a glance of it. The snow fed river, Jia-Bhoroli accounts to a large number of water birds in that region. It is considered to be one of the best national parks in the North eastern region.

11. Silent Valley National Park, Kerala

Unlike what the name suggests, this bird sanctuary in Kerala can never be in a silent state. The continuous chirpings of the birds creates a racket always. This is one of the rarest forms of the rainforests and one would be able to spot various colourful birds in this region. Some of the beautiful birds in this region are the Paradise Flycatcher, Greater Racket-tailed drongo, Whistling thrushes, Laughing thrushes, Nilgiri wood pigeon and many others. A few years back, the Long Legged buzzard, a new species of raptor was found in this region.

These are just a few bird watching destinations in India. When you will be bitten by the bug of bird watching, you are sure to travel all across the country to see the other incredible places also. All you need is a handy bird guide book, a camera and binoculars and you are ready to go!