Kanwar Lake Bird Sanctuary

Kanwar Taal or Kabar Taal Lake at Begusarai, Bihar, is Asia's largest freshwater oxbow lake approximately three times the size of the Bharatpur Sanctuary.
An oxbow lake is a U-shaped body of water that forms when a wide meander from the main stem of a river is cut off, creating a free-standing body of water. This residual oxbow lake is formed due to meandering of Gandak river, which is a tributary of Ganga.

There are around 106 species of birds at the Kanwar Lake. During winter, which is the best time to travel Kanwar Lake Bird Sanctuary, around 60 migratory birds come to the park from Central Asia.
Since the Lake  has few tourists visiting it is one of the quietest places available for Bird Watching. You can see several species of birds, some among them are Oriental White-backed Vulture, Long-billed Vulture, Greater Adjutant, Greater Spotted Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Sarus Crane, Darter Anhinga, Painted Stork and Black-bellied Tern.

How to reach Kanwar Lake Bird Sanctuary?
Nearest railway station: Begusarai Station
Nearest bus stop : Jaimanglagadh
Nearest airport: Patna Airport (Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport)

Sultanpur National Park and Bird Sanctuary

Sultanpur National Park and Bird Sanctuary is located at Sultanpur fifteen kilometers from Gurgaon District, in the state of Haryana at about 50 kilometers from Delhi in India. Sultanpur is located at about 40 kilometers from Dhaula Kuan in Delhi and about 15 kilometers from Gurgaon on the Gurgaon - Farrukhnagar Road.

The Park is ideal for birding and bird watchers. The sanctuary can be best visited in the winter months when a large number of migratory birds come here to reside and breed.
There are approximately 250 species of Birds found at Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary. Some of them are resident, while others come from distant regions like Siberia, Europe and Afghanistan.

In winter you can find in the Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary lots of migratory birds  and resident birds.
Resident birds include the common hoopoe, paddyfield pipit, purple sunbird, little cormorant, Indian cormorant, common spoonbill, gray francolin, black francolin, Indian roller, white-throated kingfisher, spotbill, painted stork, black-necked stork, white ibis, black-headed ibis, little egret, great egret, cattle egret, crested lark, red-vented bulbul, rose-ringed parakeet, red-wattled lapwing, shikra, Eurasian collared dove, red-collared dove, laughing dove, spotted owlet, rock pigeon, magpie robin, greater coucal, weaver bird, bank mynah, common mynah and green bee-eater.

Migratory Birds include Siberian crane, greater flamingo, ruff, black-winged stilt, common teal, common greenshank, northern pintail, yellow wagtail, white wagtail, northern shoveller, rosy pelican, spot-billed pelican, gadwall, wood sandpiper, spotted sandpiper, Eurasian wigeon, black-tailed godwit, spotted redshank, starling, bluethroat and long-billed pipit. In summer about 11 species of migratory birds such as Asian koel, black-crowned night heron, grey heron, Indian golden oriole, comb duck, blue-cheeked bee-eater, blue-tailed bee-eater and cuckoos come here.

Weekend getaway from Delhi
Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary is a popular weekend getaway from New Delhi, Gurgaon , Faridabad & Noida. This Bird Sanctuary, ideal for birding and bird watchers, is best visited in winters when a large number of migratory birds come here.
The park is a popular picnic spot for residents of New Delhi and the NCR (National Capital Region), especially during the winter migration months.
There are four watch towers (machans) located at different points, an education and interpretation center, a library, films, slides and binoculars for the benefit of bird lovers.
There is public parking, bathrooms, drinking water facilities and a children's park in the reserve. For those wishing to stay overnight, the park also has a well-appointed guest house with all amenities.

For entry in to the Sultanpur National Park
You are required to show your identity card to enter Sultanpur National Park. Without identity card, you will be denied entry. In addition, entry fee is Rs 5.00
Timing 7:00 AM to 4:30PM
If anyone desires to enter the park before 7:00 AM, he/she has to obtain entry permit, one day in advance from date of entry from Divisional Wildlife Officer Office Gurgaon ( 0124-2222272).
Not more than ten person will be allowed on any day before 7:00 AM—
Note - Park will remains closed on every Tuesday

Contact Details
Sultanpur National Park and Bird Sanctuary
Gurgaon-Farrukh Nagar Road,
Sultanpur, Gurgaon, Haryana 122506
Tel: 089015 54731

Keoladeo Ghana National Park / Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary

Keoladeo National Park or Keoladeo Ghana National Park was formerly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary located in Bharatpur in the state of Rajasthan in India. The sanctuary was created 250 years ago and is named after a Keoladeo (Shiva) temple located with in the limits of the sanctuary. Keoladeo National Park was the private duck shooting preserve of the Maharaja of Bharatpur since the 1850s. The area was established as a national park on 10 March 1982.

Keoladeo Ghana National Park is a declared World Heritage Site for the rare and endangered species of the migratory birds which come to breed here. This heritage site is located at about 2 kilometers south-east of Bharatpur and 55 km west of Agra, in the eastern parts of Rajasthan. The National Park is spread over approximately area of about 29 square kilometers.

Keoladeo National Park locally known as Gana, is popularly known as “bird paradise” as more than 370 bird species have been sighted and recorded. The National Park is a famous avifauna sanctuary that plays host to thousands of birds especially during the winter season. Otherthan that over 230 species of birds are known to have made the National Park their home. The Sanctuary is one of the richest bird areas in the world. It is known for nesting of its resident birds and visiting migratory birds.

Keoladeo Ghana National Park is a man-made and man-managed wetland formed to protect Bharatpur from frequent floods and to provide grazing grounds for village cattle. The Reserve area is a mosaic of dry grasslands, woodlands, woodland swamps, and wetlands. These diverse habitats are home to 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.

Birds in this sanctuary can be classified in to land birds and water fowls. Some of the Land birds found here are warblers, babblers, bee-eaters, bulbuls, buntings, chats, partridges, quails, Indian grey hornbill, Marshall's iora, osprey, peregrine, Pallas' sea eagle, short-toed eagle, tawny eagle, imperial eagle, spotted eagle and crested serpent eagle.

Some of the well known water fowls are herons, storks and cormorants, gadwall, shoveler, common teal, cotton teal, tufted duck, comb duck, little cormorant, great cormorant, Indian shag, ruff, painted stork, white spoonbill, Asian open-billed stork, oriental ibis, darter, common sandpiper, wood sandpiper and green sandpiper.

About the entrance in to the park
The park opens from morning to evening through out the year.The ticket is Rs 200 per foreign visitors and Rs 75 for Indian visitors.
Vehicles are not permitted inside the park, you have to park them in the designated parking area. The parking fees for a four-wheel vehicle is Rs 50.
After parking your vehicle at the parking lot, you can choose to walk, bicycle, or go by cycle rickshaw, Tonga or boat when the water level is high.
There is no charge for taking a digital camera inside the park but for the video camera the charge is Rs 450.

How to reach Keoladeo National Park?
Nearest airports to the Keoladeo National Park are Delhi, and Jaipur. Daily flights are available between Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai, Varanasi, and Lucknow.
Many trains running from New Delhi in the route (New Delhi – Mumbai and Agra – Jaipur route) stop at Bharatpur. Bharatpur is easily reached by train or bus. You can also use private taxis from New Delhi or Agra to reach Keoladeo National Park.

Accommodation facilities inside the park
Bharatpur Forest Lodge has  16 rooms
circuit house and dak bungalow also offer good accommodation options
Visitors coming to Bharatpur can also stay in palaces, havelis and other heritage properties converted into hotels.
An array of 3 star hotels and resorts are also located in the vicinity of the park

Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, Goa

Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, Goa is located in the north Goa district  and the only one bird sanctuary of the state of Goa. This is the only bird sanctuary in Goa, situated along the river Mandovi near Panaji the capital city of Goa, at the western tip of the Island Chorao. The bird Sanctuary has an area of 1.8 kilometers  where you can find many migratory as well as local birds of the island.

The Bird sanctuary is named after one of the well known Ornithologist of India, Dr Salim Ali. The Chorao island is covered  with a thick layer of mangrove forests  where you can see rare birds and animals like Mudskipper and Black Drongo.  You can also see flying foxes, jackals and crocodiles apart from the rich variety of migratory as well as local birds.
You can only explore the island on foot,  with a guide to show you around.  The guide can also help you to identify the hundreds of birds  and othet species of Flora and fauna there. There is a watch tower erected on the Island for viewing the birds.

Best Time to visit the dr Salim Ali Bird sanctuary
Dr Salim Ali Bird sanctuary is open throughout the year. You can visit the sanctuary whenever you feel like at any time of the yesr.  You have to get permission from the Chief wildlife warden  of the forest department located at the Junta House in panaji.
It would be better if you can avoid travelling to the island during the monsoons as it could get very slushy and waters can flood the place. November to June of the year will be the best time to travel / visit the Bird sanctuary.

How to Reach Dr Salim Ali Sanctuary in Goa
You have to reach Panaji the capital city of Goa, by air, by rail or by Road. From Panaji you can take a bus or a taxi to the Ribandar ferry wharf  and then ferry across the mandovi river to the Chorao island. The Bird sanctuary is situated at a walking distance from the ferry wharf at the island.
Dabolim is the nearest airport and is situated at 29 kilometers south of Panaji. Since this is a domestic airport  domestic flights from Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kochi and New delhi come in regularly.
Panaji is the railway station and is connected to the major cities of India like Mumbai, Bangalore, New Delhi and Hyderabad.  The Casco De Gama Railway station is about 30 kilometers away from Panaji.

To get more information and resource details please do contact  
 Range Forest Office at Campal, in Panaji.

Naiabana Bird Sanctuary

Chilika lake / Chilka lake lake is a brackish water lagoon located in the heart of the state of Orissa , spread over the three districts of Puri, Khurda and Ganjam. The lake is encircled by jagged blue hils and the lake contains a number of small islands with fancy names such as Becon, Ramba Bay, honeymoon, breakfast, Kalijai, Nalabana and Bird Island.
Chilika lake has been declared as a Ramsar site in 1981, which is a convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as Waterfowl Habitat.

Naalbana Bird Sanctuary is the island located in the Chilika Lake and one of the major attractions of Chilika. You can find thousands of migratory plus regional species of birds there. Nalabana Bird Sanctuary is a Bird Watcher's Delight.

There are 35 streams flowing in to the Chilika Lake  and is the largest lagoon in India and the second largest lagoon in  the whole world.
Chilika lake is the wintering ground for over 160 species of migrating birds . Birds  come  in to Chilika Lake from as far as the caspian Sea, Aral Sea, Lake baikal and many other remote parts of Russia.

As per the survey conducted at the Chilika Lake, 32 percent are waterfowl, 45 percent of the birds are terrestrial in nature and 23 percent are waders. The Lagoon is also home to 14 types of raptors and around 135 rare and endangered Irrawaddy Dolphins have also been reported. The lagoon supports about 37 species of reptiles and amphibians as well.
Migrating birds arrive from lands as far as Siberia, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Himalayas.   Various birds namely Gulls, Terns, Eagles, Herons, Asian Dowitcher, egrets and many more can be seen here. Flamingos are the highlights in the lake. Orissa Tourism

Development corporation arranges boats for the travellers to explore the island. Since the islands submerge during the monsoon times, winter months are the best to see the birds particularly that is when the migrating birds start arriving at the Lake.

Entry permits
One has to get entry permit before one gets into the Nalabana Bird Sanctuary.

How to Reach Chilika Lake?
The lake is well connected by road through National Highway 5 which runs from Chennai to Kolkata.
Bhubaneswar is the nearest airport, 100 kilometers from the Satpara town which is located on the eastern banks of the Chilika  lake.
Balugaon, Chilika and Rambha are the stations on the South Eastern Railway through which the broad gauge line passes. You can even see a part of the lake from the train itself.

Accommodation Facilities in and around Chilika Lake
Several guest houses are available at Barkul, Rambha and Satpara. Hotels are available at Balugaon

Panthanivas Barkul ( OTDC )
Balugaon,
Khurda - 752030
Tel: 06756-227488/227388
EMail: otdc@panthanivas.com

Sri Krishna Lodge,
Panthanivas road,
Barkul
Tel : 06756-2334295

Hawa Mahal,
College Road,
Balugaon
Tel : 06756-220246

Narayani Lodge,
Banapur Road,
Balugaon
Tel : 06756-220521/220212

Patro Lodge,
Chilika road,
Balugaon
Tel : 06756-220308

Kalijai Dharmasala,
Chilika Road, Balugaon.

Panthanivas, OTDC,
Rambha
Tel : 06810-278346

Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary

Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary also known as Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is located in the Kothamangalam area of the Ernakulam district in Kerala. The first bird Sanctuary in Kerala has an area of about 25 square kilometers.
The Thattekkad bird Sanctuary is the richest and varied bird habitat in the whole of India according to Dr Salim Ali an ornithologist.

Thattekkad means flat forest and is placed between two tributaries of the longest river in Kerala, the Periyar.  A part of the Sanctuary is known as Cuckoo Paradise, as there are many varieties of Cuckoo like Drongo Cuckoo, Large Hawk Cuckoo, Indian Hawk Cuckoo other than the Indian Cuckoo.

The colourful Indian Pitta, which breeds in the Himalayas,  visits the sanctuary during winters and stays there for about 6 months in a year.
Other birds which are found here are Ceylon frog mouth, Collared scops owl, Cormorants, Indian cuckoo, Jerdon's nightjar, Large-billed leaf-warbler, Orange-headed thrush, Oriental darter, Pompadour green pigeon, Whiskered terns and Yellow-browed bulbuls.


How to reach Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary?
Kochi Nedumbassery international airport is the nearest airport to go to Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary.  The airport is located at about 71 kilometers from it.

Aluva railway station is the nearest and is about 48 kilometers away.
If you are travelling by road the Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary is  about 13 kilometers to the north east of Kothamangalam on the Pooyamkutti Road.