Top 12 Favourite Destinations of Migratory Birds in India

Bird migration is the regular seasonal movement of many species of birds such as waders birds, Seabird, land birds and raptors for breeding and wintering grounds.
Here is the list of Incredible bird sanctuaries of India and list of migratory birds coming to India in winter and summer season.

Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Rajasthan

Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary now known as Keoladeo National Park is the most famous avifauna sanctuary in India and home to thousands of migratory birds species especially during the winter season.

Keoladeo Ghana National Park wetland is an important wintering ground for large numbers of migrant ducks, migratory waterfowl and also breeding site for sarus crane, herons, storks and cormorants.

Chilka Lake Bird Sanctuary, Odisha

Chilika Lake is an ecosystem of brackish water lagoon and also is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds coming to the Indian sub-continent. The lagoon is home to waterfowl, waders, flamingos, brahminy ducks and 14 types of raptors.

Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu/Andhra Pradesh

Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary is a protected area in Thiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu and in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh. The lake sanctuary is noted for the many flocks of greater flamingos, pelicans, spoonbills and 20 species of shorebirds.

Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, Gujarat

Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary is the largest wetland bird sanctuary in Gujarat and the lake attracts 210 species of migratory birds during the winter season. Migratory birds of Nal Sarovar includes rosy pelicans, waterfowl flock, wading birds, flamingoes and species of bitterns, crakes and grebes.

Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, Kerala

Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary is a favourite destinations of migratory birds in India and local birds. The migratory Siberian crane seen here during their respective migratory seasons.

Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh

Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary is a part of the Kameng Elephant Reserve and well known birding area in Arunachal Pradesh.The high altitude sanctuary is home to 454 species of Himalayan birds including blue jay, Bugun liocichla, tragopan and group of finches.

Desert National Park, Rajasthan

Desert National Park is a fragile ecosystem and haven for migratory birds of the desert. The fragile ecosystem of the Thar Desert and Sand dunes is home to migratory harriers, falcons, buzzards and kestrel birds of prey.

Rann of Kutch Sanctuary, Gujarat

Rann of Kutch is known for rich wildlife, biodiversity and grassland ecosystem. The Banni grasslands host a rich diversity of avifauna and important grounds for migratory cranes, flamingos and other species of migratory birds.

Bhigwan Bird Sanctuary, Maharashtra

Bhigwan is known as mini Bharatpur and famous for birdwatching,especially flamingos, barheaded geese, demoiselle cranes and Peregrine falcon.
The backwaters of Ujjani dam is wintering ground for many kinds of ducks, pratincole, Eurasian Spoonbill, Bar Headed Goose and a favourite spot for migratory birds in Maharashtra.

Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh

Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary is an important breeding site for spot-billed pelicans in India as well as other migratory water birds such as common tea, garganey gadwall, shoveler and white ibis.

Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, Karnataka

Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is the largest bird sanctuary in Karnataka that attracts large number of migratory bird species such as woolly-necked stork, great stone plover, river tern and home to a large flock of streak-throated swallows also an important bird sanctuary of South India.

Sundarban National Park, West Bengal

Sundarbans National Park is a famous reserves for the Bengal tiger and also home to a variety of reptiles and migratory bird species. The Ganges delta and mangrove forest of Sundarban is home to more than 100 species of Avifauna like cotton teals, herring gulls,eastern knots, curlews and golden plovers.

The northeastern state of Nagaland is beomce home to world’s longest-distance migratory birds, The Amur falcon (Falco amurensis) during the start of winter season when the small raptor come to Nagaland from Siberia en route to their final destination to Africa.