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A bird sanctuary in India is a natural protected area that conserves and protects native bird species, providing natural habitats for their survival and breeding. The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) reports that around 72 bird sanctuaries in India contain around 1210 bird species. These sanctuaries are legally protected to prevent human involvement and are also a popular tourist destination. However, they face challenges due to weather changes and the tourism industry. The first bird sanctuary in Kerala, Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, faced numerous tourism-related crises.
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and protected sanctuary in India, is home to over 360 bird species and is also known as Keoladeo National Park or Keoladeo Ghana National Park.
The Vedanthangal bird sanctuary, located in Chennai, is the oldest sanctuary in India, covering 30 hectares and hosting various bird species from various countries, including darters, moorhens, pintails, and sandpipers.
The Indian Bird Conservation Network, a collaboration of NGOs like Bombay Natural History Society and BirdLife International, aims to conserve bird species through research. It's open to all who believe bird conservation contributes to biodiversity and human well-being. State-wise co-ordinators spread local information and issues to the wider network. The network runs data-gathering projects like the Important Bird Areas Project, which has identified 466 Important Bird Areas in India.
The Union Environment Ministry has approved a three-year 'Bird Sensitivity Mapping Tool' study by Bombay Natural History Society to map migratory bird pathways under the Central Asian Flyway in India. The tool, the first in India using augmented reality, will aid policy development for infrastructure projects and civil aviation bird alert issues.
The Wildlife Protection Act (WLPA) 1972, passed on 21st August 1972, is a crucial legal framework in India that prohibits hunting, protects wildlife habitats, establishes protected areas, and regulates trade in wildlife products. The Act provides for several categories of protected areas, including National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Tiger Reserves, Conservation Reserves, and Community Reserves. India has 72 bird sanctuaries, providing homes for over 1210 species of birds.
Bird sanctuaries in India are open year-round, with the best time to visit beijing during winter, with most species breeding between June and September. These sanctuaries offer colorful, lively, and rare migratory birds. There are approximately 72 bird sanctuaries in India, containing around 1210 different types of birds. These sanctuary spaces provide a safe haven for native birds, allowing them to thrive and even have babies. The best bird sanctuaries in India are listed state-wise, showcasing the diverse and colorful bird species in India.
Species found in Bird Sanctuaries of India | ||
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Name | State | Species Found |
Attiveri Bird Sanctuary | Karnataka | Cattle egret, Indian and little cormorants, black-headed ibis, Eurasian spoonbill, pied and white-throated kingfishers, Indian grey hornbill, and barn swallow. |
Bankapura Peacock Sanctuary | Karnataka | Majorly Peacocks and Peahens, but also a number of other birds like great-horned owls, babblers, magpies, robins, Asian green bee-eater, nightjar, spotted myna, paradise flycatcher, Indian robin, spotted doves, parakeets, kingfisher, grey hornbill, blue-tailed bee-eater, blacked winged kite, tailor bird. |
Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary | Haryana | Egyptian vulture, steppe eagle, Pallas’s fish eagle, and black-bellied tern. |
Bonal Bird Sanctuary | Karnataka | 21 species of birds, including the purple heron, white-necked stork, white ibis, black ibis, brahminy duck, and bar-headed goose |
Chilika Lake Bird Sanctuary | Odisha | Birds from as far as the Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, Aral Sea and other remote parts of Russia, Kirghiz steppes of Kazakhstan, Central, and southeast Asia, Ladakh and Himalayas; green sea turtle (EN), dugong (VU), Irrawaddy dolphin (EN), blackbuck (NT), Spoon-billed sandpiper (CR), Chilika limbless skink (CR) and fishing cat (VU). |
Chintamoni Kar Bird Sanctuary | West Bengal | Birds, butterflies, ferns, orchids; White-throated Kingfisher, Green Bee-eater, Common Hawk Cuckoo, Asian Koel, etc. |
Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary | Tamil Nadu | Spot-billed pelican, painted stork, little egret, and grey heron. |
Gaga Wildlife Sanctuary | Gujarat | Wolf, jackal, mongoose, jungle cat, blue bull, etc. Important birds- Great Indian Bustards, larks, partridges, sand grouses, flamingoes, etc. |
Gamgul | Himachal Pradesh | Ibex Capra ibex, Musk Deer Moschus chrysogaster, Serow Nemorhaedus sumatraensis, Himalayan Tahr Hemitragus jemlahicus and Goral Nemorhaedus goral. |
Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary | Maharashtra | Great Indian bustard, Indian bush lark, Ashy-crowned, sparrow-lark, Rufous-tailed lark, Southern grey shrike |
Gudavi Bird Sanctuary | Karnataka | Grey Heron, Little Cormorant, Little Grebe, White Ibis, White-Headed Crane, etc. |
Haiderpur Wetland | Uttar Pradesh | Gharial, hog deer, black-bellied tern, Indian skimmer and gold mahseer |
Hokera Wetland | Jammu and Kashmir (union territory) | Large egret, great crested grebe, little cormorant, common shelduck, tufted duck, and the endangered white-eyed pochard |
Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary | Kerala | Herons, sandpipers, terns, cormorants, gulls, egrets, and also the Brahmini kites |
Kaggaladu Bird Sanctuary | Karnataka | Painted storks, grey herons, Blackbuck, and the Grey Pelican |
Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary | Tamil Nadu | Painted stork, white ibis, black ibis, little egret, great egret. |
Karnala Bird Sanctuary | Maharashtra | Nilgiri Woodpigeon, Grey-fronted Green Pigeon, Malabar Parakeet, Malabar Grey Hornbill, White-cheeked Barbet, Malabar Lark, Small Sunbird and the Vigor’s Sunbird |
Keoladeo National Park | Rajasthan | 366 bird species, 379 floral species, 50 species of fish, 13 species of snakes, 5 species of lizards, 7 amphibian species, 7 turtle species, and a variety of other invertebrates, including basking python, painted storks, deer, nilgai, and more. |
Khaparwas Wildlife Sanctuary | Haryana | Nilgai, coppersmith barbet, blue peafowl, greater coucal, Indian grey hornbill. |
Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary | Gujarat | Grey hypocolius, Forest wagtail, Grey-necked bunting, Black-headed bunting, Greylag goose, European roller, black-necked stork, Great white pelican, Dalmatian pelican, Lesser flamingo, Greater flamingo, great crested grebe, etc. |
Kondakarla Ava Bird Sanctuary | Andhra Pradesh | Grey Herons, Red Whiskered Bulbul, Black Drongo, among others. |
Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary | Tamil Nadu | Indian pond heron, Eurasian wigeon, spot-billed pelican, oriental darter, and Northern pintail |
Kulik Bird Sanctuary (Raiganj WLS) | West Bengal | Egrets, open-bill storks, black-crowned night herons, pond herons, Indian Shag, little cormorants, and most importantly, Asian Openbill. |
Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary | Kerala | Waterfowl, koel, owl, egret, heron, cormorant, moorhen, darter, brahminy kite, and the migratory gull, teal, tern, flycatcher. |
Kutch Bustard Sanctuary | Gujarat | Painted Stork, Pelicans, Sarus Crane |
Lakh Bahosi Sanctuary | Uttar Pradesh | Jackals, blue bulls, mongooses, fishing cats, monkeys, and other animals |
Lengteng Wildlife Sanctuary | Mizoram | Dark-rumped swift, grey sibia, Mrs. Hume’s pheasant, grey peacock pheasant, Oriental pied hornbill, rufous-bellied eagle, and white-naped yuhina. |
Magadi Bird Sanctuary | Karnataka | Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Comb Duck, Oriental Ibis, White Breasted Water Hen, Greater Flamingo, etc. |
Mandagadde Bird Sanctuary | Karnataka | Darters, Median Egrets, and Cormorants; Maiden Egret, Pied Kingfisher, Wooly Neck Stalk, Night Herons, Open-billed storks. |
Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary | Kerala | Common redshank, common greenshank, brahminy kite, white-breasted waterhen, and marsh sandpiper |
Mayani Bird Sanctuary | Maharashtra | Flamingos, migratory birds from Siberia, other birds include stork, northern shoveler, kingfisher, coot, Brahminy Ducks, Black Ibis, Painted storks, Common Spoonbills, etc. |
Nagi Dam Bird Sanctuary | Bihar | Indian courser, chestnut-bellied sandgrouse, yellow-wattled lapwing, and Indian robin. |
Najafgarh drains bird sanctuary | Delhi | Black-Necked Stork, Painted Stork, Black-Tailed Godwit, Sarus Crane, and Black-Headed Ibis |
Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary | Gujarat | Pelicans, flamingos, egrets, herons, cranes, and many more |
Nandur Madhmeshwar Bird Sanctuary | Maharashtra | White Stork, Glossy Ibis, Spoonbills, Flamingo, Goose Brahminy Duck, Pintails, Mallard, Wigeon, Gargenery Shoveller, Pochards, Cranes Shanks, Curlews, Pratincole Wagtails, Godwits, Weavers, etc. |
Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary | Uttar Pradesh | Sarus crane, painted stork, peafowl, white ibis, dabchick, whistling teal, open-bill stork, white-necked stork, pheasant-tailed jacana, bronze winged jacana, purple moorhen, lapwing, tern, vulture, pigeon, king crow, Indian roller and bee-eater. |
Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary | Andhra Pradesh | Spot-billed pelican, Grey frigate bids, Black bittern, Lesser whistling teal, Black-capped kingfisher, Whimbrel, Painted snipe, Spotted sandpiper, Gull-billed tern, Orange-breasted green pigeon, Indian pitta, etc. |
Okhla Sanctuary | Uttar Pradesh | Water birds like Indian Pond Heron, Oriental Skylark, Rose-Ringed Parakeet, Lesser Whistling Duck, Spot-billed Duck, Northern Shoveler, White Throated Kingfisher, Black-winged Stilt, etc. |
Pathiramanal | Kerala | Common Teals, Pheasant-tailed and Bronze-winged Jacanas, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Watercock, Whistling Duck, Cotton Pygmy Goose, Whiskered Tern and Smooth Indian Otters |
Patna Bird Sanctuary | Uttar Pradesh | Aquatic birds like Lesser Whistling-Duck, Graylag Goose, Comb Duck, Ruddy Shelduck, Gadwall, Eurasian Wigeon, Indian Spot-billed Duck, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail. |
Porbandar Bird Sanctuary | Gujarat | Flamingoes (greater and lesser), grebes, pelicans, ducks and geese, avocet, coots, cormorants, herons, egrets, bittern, storks, ibis, spoonbill, cranes, whistling teals, gulls, terns, jacanas, ruff, redshanks, Indian roller, etc. |
Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary | Andhra Pradesh | Minor flamingos, Spot-billed or Grey Pelican Pelecanus philippensis, Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala, Grey Heron Ardea cinerea, and species of ducks, teals, terns, gulls, and waders. |
Puttenahalli Lake | Karnataka | Darters, painted storks, black-crowned night herons, purple herons, pond herons, egrets, Asian openbill storks, Eurasian spoonbills, spot-billed pelicans, little grebes, little cormorants, Indian spot-billed ducks, purple moorhens, and common sandpipers. |
Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary | Karnataka | Painted Stork, Kingfishers, Cormorants, Darter, Herons, River Tern, Egrets, Indian Roller, Black-headed Ibis, Spoonbill, Great Stone Plover, and Spot-billed Pelicans. |
Rasikbil Bird Sanctuary | West Bengal | Whistling duck, Eurasian teal, ferruginous duck, red-crested pochard, northern shoveler, northern pintail, Eurasian wigeon, grey-headed lapwing, northern lapwing, pied kingfisher, stork-billed kingfisher, common kingfisher, little cormorant, great cormorant, and gadwall |
Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary | Goa | White egrets and purple herons, kingfishers, eagles, cormorants, kites, woodpeckers, sandpipers, curlews, drongos, and mynahs. |
Saman Sanctuary | Uttar Pradesh | Sarus Cranes and Black Necked Storks as well as sharp hunters like Egyptian vultures, Sparrow Hawks, Black Shouldered Kites, Crested Serpent Eagle,s and Black Kites |
Samaspur Sanctuary | Uttar Pradesh | Vulture, Kingfishers, Spot Bill Teel common, and Teel Whistling. |
Sandi Bird Sanctuary | Uttar Pradesh | Common teal, Red-crested pochard, ferruginous duck, the vulnerable sarus crane. |
Sarsai Nawar Wetland | Uttar Pradesh | Wigeon Anas penelope, Greylag Goose Anser anser, Northern Pintail Anas acuta, and Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia. |
Sri Penusila Narasimha Wildlife Sanctuary | Andhra Pradesh | Indian long-billed vulture, the ace fisherman-Pied kingfisher, the monsoon indicator-Pied crested cuckoo, Open billed stork, Black-winged stilt, White-bellied drongo, etc. |
Suchindram Theroor Birds Sanctuary | Tamil Nadu | Pied kingfisher, brahminy kite, and marsh harrier. Other water birds are dabchick, grey heron, garganey, purple heron, cinnamon bittern, open bill stork, cotton pygmy goose, whiskered tern and little tern, black-winged stilt, greenshank, little ringed plover and the common sandpiper. |
Tal Chhapar Sanctuary | Rajasthan | Montagu’s harrier, marsh harrier, pale harrier, imperial eagle, tawny eagle, short-toed eagle, sparrow hawk, skylark, crested lark, ring drove, brown dove, blue jay, southern grey shrike, Indian spotted creeper, green bee-eaters, etc. |
Thasrana Bird Sanctuary (Dhanauri Wetlands) | Uttar Pradesh | Sarus cranes, purple herons, bay weavers, and red robins |
Thattekad Bird Sanctuary | Kerala | Peninsular Bay owl, Ceylon Frogmouth, Bourdillon’s Long-eared Indian Nightjar, Malabar hornbill, Crimson throated barbet, Malabar shama, Grey-headed fish eagle. |
Thol Lake | Gujarat | Greater flamingo of least concern species, Dalmatian pelican, greater spotted eagle, sarus crane, and Indian skimmer, etc. |
Udayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary | Tamil Nadu | Purple Moorhen, Open bill storks, Many migratory birds also visit the sanctuary like Coot, Grey Heron, Black-headed Ibis, Night Heron, Purple Heron, Little cormorant, Darter, Spoonbill, Indian Reef Heron, and White-necked stork |
Uppalapadu Bird Sanctuary | Andhra Pradesh | While pelicans are the most found species, also can spot painted storks, black-headed ibis, pintail ducks, and jungle crows. |
Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary | Tamil Nadu | Garganey, teal, glossy ibis, grey heron, grey pelican, open-billed stork, painted stork, snake bird, spoonbill, spot bill duck, cormorants, darter, grebes, large egret, little egrets, moorhen, night herons, paddy bird, painted stork, pintails, pond heron, sandpiper, shovellers, terns, white ibis |
Vellode Birds Sanctuary | Tamil Nadu | Cormorants, teals, pintail ducks, pelicans, and darters. |
Vettangudi Bird Sanctuary | Tamil Nadu | Grey Herons, Darters, Spoonbills, White Ibis, Asian Open Bill Stork, and Night Herons. |
Atapaka Bird Sanctuary
Nelapattu bird sanctuary
Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary
Nagi Bird Sanctuary
Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary
Mayani Bird Sanctuary
Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary
Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary
Kaundinya Bird Sanctuary
Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary
Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary
Kulik Bird Sanctuary (Raiganj Wildlife Sanctuary)
Apart from protection under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 for the endangered birds, other efforts are also being undertaken to generally protect all species and their ecosystems.
The Ministry of Environment and Forestry is working to protect the Great Indian Bustard in India, including Rajasthan.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in India, in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme/Convention on Migratory Species, has organized a meeting of Range Countries to strengthen conservation efforts for migratory birds and their habitats in the Central Asian Flyway (CAF).
The IUCN Red List version 2010.1 identifies 14 critically endangered bird species in India, including the White-rumped Vulture, Indian Vulture, Slender-billed Vulture, Red-headed Vulture, Pink-headed Duck, White-bellied Heron, Sociable Lapwing, Christmas Frigatebird, Jordan's Courser, Siberian Crane, Bengal Florican, Himalayan Quail, Spoon-billed Sandpiper, and Forest Owlet. These species are on the verge of extinction in the country. It is their protection that is foremost sought with Bird Sanctuaries of India.
India's bird sanctuaries offer a peaceful natural setting that supports a variety of bird species and allows tourists to take in the beauty of birds in their native habitat. They provide a variety of programs, including educational conservation programs, guided bird walks, and bird photography. For migratory birds, several of India's bird sanctuaries serve as crucial breeding and wintering habitats. These sanctuaries give migrating birds a safe sanctuary where they may nest and rear their young in addition to serving as an important stopping location for them on long-distance travels.
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