City Bird Wildlife Sanctuary

The City Bird Wildlife Sanctuary is located in sector 21 of Chandigarh. It is also popularly known as Parrot Bird Sanctuary due to the presence of hundreds of different types of parrots. The total area of the sanctuary covers around 2.9 hectares with several trees that bring you close to nature. City Bird Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1998.

It is the second sanctuary after the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary of Chandigarh. Along with the parrots you will also find around 262 varieties of birds such as peacocks, Hoopoes, Hornbills, Woodpeckers, etc. Apart from that, you will find various butterflies, reptiles such as Common Krait, Indian Python, etc. You will also find leopards, Hanuman Langur, and Mongoose in the sanctuary.  Several benches are beautifully designed for the visitors to sit and enjoy the serenity of the park. 

Not only this, but the sanctuary is also the first bird sanctuary for birds which is located in the middle of the city. However, in the past few years, there has been a decline in the population of parrots. Previously, the population was around 10, 000 which has been drastically reduced to 2000. In the past, parrots used to sleep and wake up according to “Photoperiodism.” It means that they wake up according to the lights which were installed by the Municipal Corporation.

After the complaint of a bird lover, it was noted that the artificial lights largely affect the sleep pattern of birds. Then the lights were switched off according to the instructions by the Wildlife Department. It is one of the beloved places of locals to escape from their daily life and enjoy the chirping of birds. The best time to watch the flocks of parrots is early in the morning and evening.