Bird Sanctuaries

• Bird sanctuaries are nature facilities that advocate the conservation of various species of birds and their natural habitats.
• It’s estimated that India is home to over 1200 species of birds, and most of them can be viewed in these wildlife sanctuaries.
• Some are nationally important because they support federal species at risk. Others are important from a continental and global level, because they support a large portion of a species’ population.
• By protecting resting and nesting habitat for birds, these areas help sustain migratory birds.

Some Examples are:

Sanctuary	Basic Information
Keoladeo National Park	1. It was formerly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. 2. It hosts thousands of birds, especially during the winter season. 3. Over 230 species of birds are known to be resident. 4. It was declared a protected sanctuary in 1971. 5. It is a man-made and man-managed wetland and one of the national parks of India.
NalSarovar Bird Sanctuary	1. It consist primarily of a 120.82-square-kilometre lake and ambient marshes. 2. It is situated about 64 km to the west of Ahmedabad near Sanand Village, Gujarat , India. 3. It is mainly inhabited by migratory birds in winterand spring. 4. It is thelargest wetland bird sanctuary in Gujarat, and one of the largest in India. 5. It was declared a bird sanctuary in April 1969. 6. Its migratory bird population includes rosy pelicans, flamingoes, white storks, brahminy ducks and herons.
Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary	1. It is also known as Pakshi Kashi of Karnataka. It is a bird sanctuary in the Mandya District of the state of Karnataka in India. 2. It is the largest bird sanctuary in the state, only 40 acres (16 ha) in area, and comprises six islets on the banks of the Kaveri river. 3. The seasons for visiting the park are: June-November. 4. The best time to watch migratory birds is usually December but it can vary year to year.
Sultanpur National Park	1. It was formerly known as Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary. It is located at Sultanpur village on Gurugram-Jhajhar highway. 2. It is best visited in winters when a large number of migratory birds come here. 3. Every year more than 100 migratory bird species arrive at Sultanpur in search of feeding grounds and to pass the winter. 4. It was declared a Bird sanctuary in 1972. On 13 July 1989 the reserve was upgraded to a National Park. 5. It has an area of 1.43 km².
Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary	1. It is also known as Vembanad Bird Sanctuary. It is situated at Kumarakom in Kottayam taluk of Kottayam district in the Indian state of Kerala, on the banks of Vembanad Lake. 2. Set in the Kerala Backwaters, the bird sanctuary is a favorite haunt of migratory birds. 3. The sanctuary was formerly known as Baker’s Estate. 4. Some of the migratory birds come from the Himalayas, and a few from Siberia.

Some other bird sanctuaries are:

• Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, Goa
• Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu
• Chilika Lake Bird Sanctuary, Orissa
• Mayani Bird Sanctuary, Maharashtra
• and more….