Top 6 Places to Spot Sarus Crane Bird in India

Sarus Crane (Antigone antigone) is the tallest of the flying birds found in parts of the Indian Subcontinent. The non migratory crane bird is an iconic species of shallow wetlands and marshes of India, mostly found on the lowlands along the Gangetic plains of Uttar Pradesh and in larger wetlands of Gujarat, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Assam.

Uttar Pradesh

Sarus Crane is the state bird of Uttar Pradesh and the habitat also include Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The agricultural fields and wetlands of eastern Uttar Pradesh are home to largest number of Sarus Crane in India.

Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan

Keoladeo National Park was known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary and also a World Heritage Site in India. The wetlands of Bharatpur is a famous avifauna sanctuary and one of the richest bird areas in India.

Sultanpur National Park, Haryana

Sultanpur National Park near Gurgaon is located 50 km from Delhi and a very popular Bird Sanctuary of Haryana state. This Bird Sanctuary is wintering home to large number of migratory birds such as Siberian crane and local Sarus Crane.

Thol Bird Sanctuary, Gujarat

Thol Bird Sanctuary is a fresh water lake and habitat of many migratory birds species. The wetlands and marshes of Thol Lake is very good habitat for waterfowl along with most prominent of species include greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus), great white pelicans,mallards and Sarus cranes (Grus antigone).

Pong Dam, Himachal Pradesh

Maharana Pratap Sagar or Pong Dam Reservoir in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh is a well known birdlife sanctuary of India. The wetland sites declared as the Ramsar Convention and home to large species of waterfowl diversity along with migratory birds as well as local species reported are barheaded geese,ruddy shelduck, northern pintail and Sarus Crane.

Jawai Dam, Rajasthan

Jawai Bandh of Pali district in Rajasthan is a paradise for birwatchers and home to list of migratory birds coming to India. Flora and fauna of Jawai Dam includes demmossile crane, barheaded geese, Flamingos, Northern pintail, knob billed duck and Sarus Cranes.

Cranes of India – Species of Cranes in India

There are five species of Cranes found in India, as listed below by names.

The cranes of the Indian Sub-continent breeds on the Tibetan Plateau and remote parts of India and Bhutan also in union territory of Ladakh. While the union territory of Ladakh and State of Uttar Pradesh has designated it as the State Bird.