BIRD SANCTUARIES IN INDIA

Introduction

Bird sanctuaries are nature facilities that advocate the conservation of various species of birds and their natural habitats while promoting rehabilitation and survival. Let’s find out the locations of the major Bird Sanctuaries in India.

Courtesy: Maps of India

No.	NAME	STATE
1.	Kolleru Bird Sanctuary	Andhra Pradesh
2.	Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary	Andhra Pradesh
3.	Rollapadu Bird Sanctuary	Andhra Pradesh
4.	Sri Lankamalleshwara Wildlife Sanctuary	Andhra Pradesh
5.	Manjira Bird Sanctuary	Telangana
6.	Bordoibam- Bilmukh Bird Sanctuary	Assam
7.	Pani- Dihing Bird Sanctuary	Assam
8.	Salim Ali Jubba Sahni Bird Sanctuary	Bihar
9.	Kusheshwar Asthan Bird Sanctuary	Bihar
10.	Gautam Buddha Wildlife Sanctuary	Bihar & Jharkhand
11.	City Bird Sanctuary	Chandigarh
12.	Okhla Bird Sanctuary	Delhi
13.	Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary	Goa
14.	Khijadia Bird Sanctuary	Gujarat
15.	Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary	Gujarat
16.	Kutch Bustard Sanctuary	Gujarat
17.	Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary	Gujarat
18.	Porbandar Bird Sanctuary	Gujarat
19.	Thol Bird Sanctuary	Gujarat
20.	Bhindawas Bird Sanctuary	Haryana
21.	Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary	Haryana
22.	Bandli Wildlife Sanctuary	Himachal Pradesh
23.	Kais Wildlife Sanctuary	Himachal Pradesh
24.	Pong Dam Lake Bird Sanctuary	Himachal Pradesh
25.	Adichanchunagiri Wildlife Sanctuary	Karnataka
26.	Bankapur Peacock Sanctuary	Karnataka
27.	Ghataprabha Bird Sanctuary	Karnataka
28.	Gudavi Bird Sanctuary	Karnataka
39.	Kokkare Bellur Bird Sanctuary	Karnataka
30.	Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary	Karnataka
31.	Chulanur Peafowl Sanctuary	Kerala
32.	Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary	Kerala
33.	Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary	Kerala
34.	Mangalvanam Bird Sanctuary	Kerala
35.	Pitti Bird Sanctuary	Lakshadweep
36.	Ghatigaon Indian Bustard Sanctuary	Madhya Pradesh
37.	Karera Bird Sanctuary	Madhya Pradesh
38.	Sailana Kharmor Sanctuary	Madhya Pradesh
39.	Sardarpur Wildlife Sanctuary	Madhya Pradesh
40.	Jaikwadi Bird Sanctuary	Maharashtra
41.	Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary	Maharashtra
42.	Karnala Bird Sanctuary	Maharashtra
43.	Mayani Bird Sanctuary	Maharashtra
44.	Naygaon Mayur Wildlife Sanctuary	Maharashtra
45.	Nandur Madhmeshwar Bird Sanctuary	Maharashtra
46.	Khonoma Nature Conservation and Tragopan Sanctuary	Nagaland
47.	Ghosu Bird Sanctuary	Nagaland
48.	Nalbana Bird Sanctuary	Orissa
49.	Harike Wetland Bird Sanctuary	Punjab
50.	Desert National Park	Rajasthan
51.	Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary	Rajasthan
52.	Kitam Bird Sanctuary	Sikkim
53.	Ariyakulam Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu
54.	Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu
55.	Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu
56.	Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu
57.	Point Calimere Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu
58.	Tiruvidaimarudur Bird Conservation Reserve	Tamil Nadu
59.	Vaduvoor Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu
60.	Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu
61.	Karikili Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu
62.	Vettangudi Bird Sanctuary	Tamil Nadu
63.	Bakhira Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh
64.	Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh
65.	Patna Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh
66.	Saman Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh
67.	Samaspur Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh
68.	Sandi Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh
69.	Sor Sarovar Bird Sanctuary	Uttar Pradesh
70.	Asan Barrage Bird Sanctuary	Uttarakhand
71.	Jhilmil Jheel Bird Sanctuary	Uttarakhand
72.	Chintamoni Kar Bird Sanctuary	West Bengal
73.	Kulik Bird Sanctuary	West Bengal

Details of Some Bird Sanctuaries of India

Point Calimere Bird Sanctuary

LOCATION: Kodiyakadu, Tamil Nadu

BIRDS SEEN: Spot-billed pelican, Nordmann’s greenshank, Spoonbill sandpiper, Black-necked stork, Black-headed ibis, Asian dowitcher, Lesser flamingo, Spoonbill, Darter, Painted stork

This one is another famous spot for witnessing a wide variety of waterbirds. Composed of various wetlands and best tropical dry evergreen forests in India, it is home to more than 103 species of waterbirds. 

Sandi Bird Sanctuary

LOCATION: Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh

BIRDS SEEN: Brahmini duck, Red-crested pochard, White-eyed pochard, Eurasian wigeon, Northern shoveller, Gadwall, Coot, Garganey teal

This bird sanctuary is also known as “Dahar Jheel” and is located nearby the River Garra.

Chintamoni Kar Bird Sanctuary

LOCATION: Narendrapur, Kolkata, West Bengal

BIRDS SEEN: Common Hawk Cuckoo, Emerald Dove, Streak-throated Woodpecker, White-throated Fantail, Crested Serpent Eagle, Large-tailed Nightjar

Here you can see a wide variety of birds, butterflies, epiphytes, ferns, and orchids.

Kulik Bird Sanctuary

LOCATION: Raiganj, Uttar Dinajpur, West Bengal

BIRDS SEEN: Drongoes, Woodpeckers, Kingfishers, Owls, Kites, Flycatchers, etc

This is also known as the Raiganj Bird Sanctuary and in fact, this is the second-largest bird sanctuary in India. The sanctuary offers shelter to almost 164 species of birds and every year around 70,000 to 80,000 migratory Birds visit the sanctuary.

Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary

It is situated in Kottayam District of Kerala. The sanctuary is on the banks of Vembanad Lake and is often called Vembanad Bird Sanctuary. It is famous for providing shelter to a variety of migratory birds.

It came into being in 1847 becoming the first scientifically formed bird sanctuary in India.

Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary

It is the largest bird sanctuary of Karnataka situated in Mandya district of the state on the banks of the Kaveri river with a variety of flora and fauna.

It became a reserve in 1940 by the king of Mysore and has around 170 bird species contributing to the ecosystem of Ranganathittu. This has also become a nesting site for almost 8000 nestlings.

Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary

It is the only bird sanctuary in Goa situated on Chorao Island. It is on the banks of the Mandovi river. This mangrove forest became a sanctuary in 1988. It is named after a naturalist, Salim Ali.

It has a variety of bird species including the striated heron and western reef heron. Himalayan Forest Thrush is often known as Salim Ali bird.

Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary

It is the oldest water bird sanctuary of India situated in Madurantakam, Tamil Nadu. The construction of this sanctuary started in 1798. It became a sanctuary in 1936.

But it became Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary in 1988 under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
It has more than 40,000 birds living there including 26 rare species. It also has more than 5000 Barringtonia trees.

Nalbana Bird Sanctuary

It is the Ramsar wetlands of Chilka Lake in Odisha. It became a bird sanctuary in 1973 under the Wildlife Protection Act but notified in 1987. The monsoon season sees flocks of flamingos here from Iran and Kutch.

Other migratory birds arrive here in the early winter season. It is on the banks of Chilka lake which is Asia’s largest lagoon.

Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary

It is the largest bird sanctuary of India covering 120sq km situated in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It became a bird sanctuary in 1969 and the Ramsar Convention Site in 2012. There are 225 species of birds with 140 being water birds.

And around 210 species of birds arrive here every winter from the north including Pelicans and Storks.

Thattekad Bird Sanctuary

It is the first bird sanctuary of Kerala situated in Thattekad on the banks of Kerala’s longest river – Periyar river. It became a sanctuary in 1983 and is home to many forest and water birds.

It is also called Cuckoo paradise as it serves as a habitat for various cuckoos.

Keoladeo National Park

It is one of the most populated bird sanctuaries situated in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. It is formerly called Bharatpur Bird sanctuary which came into being in 1971.

It is home to more than 230 bird species including Sarus Crane and a variety of ducks. It is a Ramsar Convention Site and a World Heritage Site.

Kanwar Lake Bird Sanctuary

Kanwar Taal is the largest freshwater oxbow lake of Asia situated in Begusarai, Bihar. It became a bird sanctuary in 1987. It is home to 106 species of birds including Oriental white-backed vulture and Long-billed vulture which are highly endangered. But it is drying up quickly because of global warming issues.

Najafgarh Drain Bird Sanctuary

It is the only drain sanctuary of India situated in Delhi. It is actually an extension of the Sahibi River. The idea to make it a sanctuary was put forward in between 1986 and 1989. It becomes a stay for many migratory birds during the winter season.

More than 150 species of birds reside in this sanctuary. It is still in the process of becoming an official bird sanctuary.

Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary

This sanctuary is devoted to the Great Indian Bustard. It is situated in Solapur, Maharashtra. The area of the sanctuary is semi-arid. It became a sanctuary in 1979 after tremendous efforts by Mr. B.S.Kulkarni.

The great Indian Bustard is one of the largest birds in India.

Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary

STATE: Tamil Nadu

LOCATION: Vedathangal, Madurantakam, Tamil Nadu

BIRDS SEEN: Garganey, teal, Glossy ibis, Grey heron, Grey pelican, Open-billed stork, Painted stork, Snakebird, Spoonbill, Spot bill duck, etc

This is the oldest and the smallest bird sanctuary in India.