Good spots for birding in and around Delhi - Part 1

If you are into bird watching, Delhi is a good place to be. Despite its huge human population, concrete structures, and pollution, Delhi still has a good variety of birds. Even though they have become fewer and less audible, you can still find them if you know where to go looking for them. While there are several places you can spot small birds in Delhi, in this post we are going to talk about places you can spot migratory birds and large and small aquatic birds. If you are looking for a weekend, day-long, or a few hour long outing, these are good spots to head to: Okhla Bird Sanctuary Right next to the Okhla Barrage, at the point where the Mahamaya Flyover begins, there is a spot that you would never suspect could be there. A quiet, green, and secluded Okhla Bird Sanctuary. Though you do occasionally hear some traffic noises, but more or less, it is just nature and you here. It is the little birds - the sunbirds, the prinias, larks, and robins that greet you at first. At this point, you can spot some waterbirds in the distance. Once you have walked a few hundred meters, you come across the ducks and geese. Some of them are migratory. You walk about a kilometre and half and you come across the watch towers. From here you can witness ducks, storks, and ibises taking flight. And if you are lucky, you may spot a family of blue bull (neel gai) making their way across the swamp. A few years back, you could take your car inside the sanctuary, but now that is not possible. Now you need to park your car at the nearby metro station and walk towards the sanctuary. That can be a pain because it is a fairly long walk between the entrance gate and the watch tower and there is another exit near the watch tower. The prospect of walking all the way to the entrance gate then looks like a difficult and unnecessary task. It is better to take a cab both ways. Okhla Bird Sanctuary, though beautiful, seems increasingly suffocated year by year and that also reflects in the number of birds that landed here this year. In January 2020, which is the peak birding season in this part of the country, the number of birds in Okhla Bird Sanctuary was 50% less than the last year. All around the sanctuary, there's massive construction that's getting closer and closer to the sanctuary. Some measures need to be taken, else we might lose this tiny patch of nature forever. Surajpur Bird Sanctuary This is a relatively smaller bird sanctuary with a trail that is about 2 kilometers in length. It is very close to Greater Noida and is about half an hour drive from our home in Noida. The walkway goes around a central wetland and you have an opportunity to see migratory birds up close. And while you are at it, you can also probably spot quite a few resident birds as well. The walk is even shorter than that inside the Okhla Bird Sanctuary, but the plus point is that the birds are up close and can be photographed much more easily. Also, the wetlands start as soon as you enter the sanctuary, unlike Bharatpur, where you have the walk considerable distance before you are able to spot big flocks of large birds. However, this sanctuary is also at a great risk. The land around the sanctuary has been bought by some big builders, and small housing colonies are also coming up around the sanctuary. These residential areas are so close by that you can hear what people residing there are talking about in their houses. The presence of humans also brings stray dogs, some of whom have made the sanctuary their home. And also, there were a few drains flowing into the sanctuary. One important thing to know when you head to the Surajpur Bird Sanctuary is that you need permission from the DFO to enter. You can visit their website to and check out the contact details there or check with your birder friends, they are sure to have some clue as to how to get the permissions. This strictness is to ensure that only those who are really interested in birding get here. Otherwise the bird sanctuary was becoming notorious for lack of security. Unlike most other sanctuaries, there are no charges to visit this bird sanctuary. If you have the permissions, you can simply walk in. There are people who go there for bird photography, and others that go there simply for birding. They usually just carry a field guide and a pair of binoculars, and spend hours just looking at the birds. However, the lack of tickets and proper boundaries has its own drawback. There have been sporadic incidents of snatching and also extreme PDA here because of which some of the reviews say that this is not a family destination. However, after the strictness, all that is under control as well. Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary It has been a while since we visited this bird sanctuary. Actually we have only visited it once when we happened to travel on the Gurgaon-Jhajhar road. We chanced upon this trip and decided to spend a few minutes here. We went there when there weren't too many birds. Summer was just getting started and it was still hot. At that time we found the parking lot empty and there was absolutely no one inside. The bird sanctuary though was definitely well-maintained and we made up our minds to go back during season, but that hasn't happened yet. However, search on the Internet reveals that the sanctuary is doing good. Till 2018, it used to be closed for 5 months during summers. That duration has been reduced to 3 months now. And the list of resident and migratory birds here is also intriguing. We will definitely plan a visit as soon as we can. We'll be back soon with part 2 of this post, with more birding destinations in and around Delhi. Stay tuned.


If you are into bird watching, Delhi is a good place to be. Despite its huge human population, concrete structures, and pollution, Delhi still has a good variety of birds. Even though they have become fewer and less audible, you can still find them if you know where to go looking for them. While there are several places you can spot small birds in Delhi, in this post we are going to talk about places you can spot migratory birds and large and small aquatic birds. If you are looking for a weekend, day-long, or a few hour long outing, these are good spots to head to: 




If you are into bird watching, Delhi is a good place to be. Despite its huge human population, concrete structures, and pollution, Delhi still has a good variety of birds. Even though they have become fewer and less audible, you can still find them if you know where to go looking for them. While there are several places you can spot small birds in Delhi, in this post we are going to talk about places you can spot migratory birds and large and small aquatic birds. If you are looking for a weekend, day-long, or a few hour long outing, these are good spots to head to: Okhla Bird Sanctuary Right next to the Okhla Barrage, at the point where the Mahamaya Flyover begins, there is a spot that you would never suspect could be there. A quiet, green, and secluded Okhla Bird Sanctuary. Though you do occasionally hear some traffic noises, but more or less, it is just nature and you here. It is the little birds - the sunbirds, the prinias, larks, and robins that greet you at first. At this point, you can spot some waterbirds in the distance. Once you have walked a few hundred meters, you come across the ducks and geese. Some of them are migratory. You walk about a kilometre and half and you come across the watch towers. From here you can witness ducks, storks, and ibises taking flight. And if you are lucky, you may spot a family of blue bull (neel gai) making their way across the swamp. A few years back, you could take your car inside the sanctuary, but now that is not possible. Now you need to park your car at the nearby metro station and walk towards the sanctuary. That can be a pain because it is a fairly long walk between the entrance gate and the watch tower and there is another exit near the watch tower. The prospect of walking all the way to the entrance gate then looks like a difficult and unnecessary task. It is better to take a cab both ways. Okhla Bird Sanctuary, though beautiful, seems increasingly suffocated year by year and that also reflects in the number of birds that landed here this year. In January 2020, which is the peak birding season in this part of the country, the number of birds in Okhla Bird Sanctuary was 50% less than the last year. All around the sanctuary, there's massive construction that's getting closer and closer to the sanctuary. Some measures need to be taken, else we might lose this tiny patch of nature forever. Surajpur Bird Sanctuary This is a relatively smaller bird sanctuary with a trail that is about 2 kilometers in length. It is very close to Greater Noida and is about half an hour drive from our home in Noida. The walkway goes around a central wetland and you have an opportunity to see migratory birds up close. And while you are at it, you can also probably spot quite a few resident birds as well. The walk is even shorter than that inside the Okhla Bird Sanctuary, but the plus point is that the birds are up close and can be photographed much more easily. Also, the wetlands start as soon as you enter the sanctuary, unlike Bharatpur, where you have the walk considerable distance before you are able to spot big flocks of large birds. However, this sanctuary is also at a great risk. The land around the sanctuary has been bought by some big builders, and small housing colonies are also coming up around the sanctuary. These residential areas are so close by that you can hear what people residing there are talking about in their houses. The presence of humans also brings stray dogs, some of whom have made the sanctuary their home. And also, there were a few drains flowing into the sanctuary. One important thing to know when you head to the Surajpur Bird Sanctuary is that you need permission from the DFO to enter. You can visit their website to and check out the contact details there or check with your birder friends, they are sure to have some clue as to how to get the permissions. This strictness is to ensure that only those who are really interested in birding get here. Otherwise the bird sanctuary was becoming notorious for lack of security. Unlike most other sanctuaries, there are no charges to visit this bird sanctuary. If you have the permissions, you can simply walk in. There are people who go there for bird photography, and others that go there simply for birding. They usually just carry a field guide and a pair of binoculars, and spend hours just looking at the birds. However, the lack of tickets and proper boundaries has its own drawback. There have been sporadic incidents of snatching and also extreme PDA here because of which some of the reviews say that this is not a family destination. However, after the strictness, all that is under control as well. Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary It has been a while since we visited this bird sanctuary. Actually we have only visited it once when we happened to travel on the Gurgaon-Jhajhar road. We chanced upon this trip and decided to spend a few minutes here. We went there when there weren't too many birds. Summer was just getting started and it was still hot. At that time we found the parking lot empty and there was absolutely no one inside. The bird sanctuary though was definitely well-maintained and we made up our minds to go back during season, but that hasn't happened yet. However, search on the Internet reveals that the sanctuary is doing good. Till 2018, it used to be closed for 5 months during summers. That duration has been reduced to 3 months now. And the list of resident and migratory birds here is also intriguing. We will definitely plan a visit as soon as we can. We'll be back soon with part 2 of this post, with more birding destinations in and around Delhi. Stay tuned.

Okhla Bird Sanctuary

Right next to the Okhla Barrage, at the point where the Mahamaya Flyover begins, there is a spot that you would never suspect could be there. A quiet, green, and secluded Okhla Bird Sanctuary. Though you do occasionally hear some traffic noises, but more or less, it is just nature and you here. 

If you are into bird watching, Delhi is a good place to be. Despite its huge human population, concrete structures, and pollution, Delhi still has a good variety of birds. Even though they have become fewer and less audible, you can still find them if you know where to go looking for them. While there are several places you can spot small birds in Delhi, in this post we are going to talk about places you can spot migratory birds and large and small aquatic birds. If you are looking for a weekend, day-long, or a few hour long outing, these are good spots to head to: Okhla Bird Sanctuary Right next to the Okhla Barrage, at the point where the Mahamaya Flyover begins, there is a spot that you would never suspect could be there. A quiet, green, and secluded Okhla Bird Sanctuary. Though you do occasionally hear some traffic noises, but more or less, it is just nature and you here. It is the little birds - the sunbirds, the prinias, larks, and robins that greet you at first. At this point, you can spot some waterbirds in the distance. Once you have walked a few hundred meters, you come across the ducks and geese. Some of them are migratory. You walk about a kilometre and half and you come across the watch towers. From here you can witness ducks, storks, and ibises taking flight. And if you are lucky, you may spot a family of blue bull (neel gai) making their way across the swamp. A few years back, you could take your car inside the sanctuary, but now that is not possible. Now you need to park your car at the nearby metro station and walk towards the sanctuary. That can be a pain because it is a fairly long walk between the entrance gate and the watch tower and there is another exit near the watch tower. The prospect of walking all the way to the entrance gate then looks like a difficult and unnecessary task. It is better to take a cab both ways. Okhla Bird Sanctuary, though beautiful, seems increasingly suffocated year by year and that also reflects in the number of birds that landed here this year. In January 2020, which is the peak birding season in this part of the country, the number of birds in Okhla Bird Sanctuary was 50% less than the last year. All around the sanctuary, there's massive construction that's getting closer and closer to the sanctuary. Some measures need to be taken, else we might lose this tiny patch of nature forever. Surajpur Bird Sanctuary This is a relatively smaller bird sanctuary with a trail that is about 2 kilometers in length. It is very close to Greater Noida and is about half an hour drive from our home in Noida. The walkway goes around a central wetland and you have an opportunity to see migratory birds up close. And while you are at it, you can also probably spot quite a few resident birds as well. The walk is even shorter than that inside the Okhla Bird Sanctuary, but the plus point is that the birds are up close and can be photographed much more easily. Also, the wetlands start as soon as you enter the sanctuary, unlike Bharatpur, where you have the walk considerable distance before you are able to spot big flocks of large birds. However, this sanctuary is also at a great risk. The land around the sanctuary has been bought by some big builders, and small housing colonies are also coming up around the sanctuary. These residential areas are so close by that you can hear what people residing there are talking about in their houses. The presence of humans also brings stray dogs, some of whom have made the sanctuary their home. And also, there were a few drains flowing into the sanctuary. One important thing to know when you head to the Surajpur Bird Sanctuary is that you need permission from the DFO to enter. You can visit their website to and check out the contact details there or check with your birder friends, they are sure to have some clue as to how to get the permissions. This strictness is to ensure that only those who are really interested in birding get here. Otherwise the bird sanctuary was becoming notorious for lack of security. Unlike most other sanctuaries, there are no charges to visit this bird sanctuary. If you have the permissions, you can simply walk in. There are people who go there for bird photography, and others that go there simply for birding. They usually just carry a field guide and a pair of binoculars, and spend hours just looking at the birds. However, the lack of tickets and proper boundaries has its own drawback. There have been sporadic incidents of snatching and also extreme PDA here because of which some of the reviews say that this is not a family destination. However, after the strictness, all that is under control as well. Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary It has been a while since we visited this bird sanctuary. Actually we have only visited it once when we happened to travel on the Gurgaon-Jhajhar road. We chanced upon this trip and decided to spend a few minutes here. We went there when there weren't too many birds. Summer was just getting started and it was still hot. At that time we found the parking lot empty and there was absolutely no one inside. The bird sanctuary though was definitely well-maintained and we made up our minds to go back during season, but that hasn't happened yet. However, search on the Internet reveals that the sanctuary is doing good. Till 2018, it used to be closed for 5 months during summers. That duration has been reduced to 3 months now. And the list of resident and migratory birds here is also intriguing. We will definitely plan a visit as soon as we can. We'll be back soon with part 2 of this post, with more birding destinations in and around Delhi. Stay tuned.


It is the little birds - the sunbirds, the prinias, larks, and robins that greet you at first. At this point, you can spot some waterbirds in the distance. Once you have walked a few hundred meters, you come across the ducks and geese. Some of them are migratory. You walk about a kilometre and half and you come across the watch towers. From here you can witness ducks, storks, and ibises taking flight. And if you are lucky, you may spot a family of blue bull (neel gai) making their way across the swamp. 


If you are into bird watching, Delhi is a good place to be. Despite its huge human population, concrete structures, and pollution, Delhi still has a good variety of birds. Even though they have become fewer and less audible, you can still find them if you know where to go looking for them. While there are several places you can spot small birds in Delhi, in this post we are going to talk about places you can spot migratory birds and large and small aquatic birds. If you are looking for a weekend, day-long, or a few hour long outing, these are good spots to head to: Okhla Bird Sanctuary Right next to the Okhla Barrage, at the point where the Mahamaya Flyover begins, there is a spot that you would never suspect could be there. A quiet, green, and secluded Okhla Bird Sanctuary. Though you do occasionally hear some traffic noises, but more or less, it is just nature and you here. It is the little birds - the sunbirds, the prinias, larks, and robins that greet you at first. At this point, you can spot some waterbirds in the distance. Once you have walked a few hundred meters, you come across the ducks and geese. Some of them are migratory. You walk about a kilometre and half and you come across the watch towers. From here you can witness ducks, storks, and ibises taking flight. And if you are lucky, you may spot a family of blue bull (neel gai) making their way across the swamp. A few years back, you could take your car inside the sanctuary, but now that is not possible. Now you need to park your car at the nearby metro station and walk towards the sanctuary. That can be a pain because it is a fairly long walk between the entrance gate and the watch tower and there is another exit near the watch tower. The prospect of walking all the way to the entrance gate then looks like a difficult and unnecessary task. It is better to take a cab both ways. Okhla Bird Sanctuary, though beautiful, seems increasingly suffocated year by year and that also reflects in the number of birds that landed here this year. In January 2020, which is the peak birding season in this part of the country, the number of birds in Okhla Bird Sanctuary was 50% less than the last year. All around the sanctuary, there's massive construction that's getting closer and closer to the sanctuary. Some measures need to be taken, else we might lose this tiny patch of nature forever. Surajpur Bird Sanctuary This is a relatively smaller bird sanctuary with a trail that is about 2 kilometers in length. It is very close to Greater Noida and is about half an hour drive from our home in Noida. The walkway goes around a central wetland and you have an opportunity to see migratory birds up close. And while you are at it, you can also probably spot quite a few resident birds as well. The walk is even shorter than that inside the Okhla Bird Sanctuary, but the plus point is that the birds are up close and can be photographed much more easily. Also, the wetlands start as soon as you enter the sanctuary, unlike Bharatpur, where you have the walk considerable distance before you are able to spot big flocks of large birds. However, this sanctuary is also at a great risk. The land around the sanctuary has been bought by some big builders, and small housing colonies are also coming up around the sanctuary. These residential areas are so close by that you can hear what people residing there are talking about in their houses. The presence of humans also brings stray dogs, some of whom have made the sanctuary their home. And also, there were a few drains flowing into the sanctuary. One important thing to know when you head to the Surajpur Bird Sanctuary is that you need permission from the DFO to enter. You can visit their website to and check out the contact details there or check with your birder friends, they are sure to have some clue as to how to get the permissions. This strictness is to ensure that only those who are really interested in birding get here. Otherwise the bird sanctuary was becoming notorious for lack of security. Unlike most other sanctuaries, there are no charges to visit this bird sanctuary. If you have the permissions, you can simply walk in. There are people who go there for bird photography, and others that go there simply for birding. They usually just carry a field guide and a pair of binoculars, and spend hours just looking at the birds. However, the lack of tickets and proper boundaries has its own drawback. There have been sporadic incidents of snatching and also extreme PDA here because of which some of the reviews say that this is not a family destination. However, after the strictness, all that is under control as well. Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary It has been a while since we visited this bird sanctuary. Actually we have only visited it once when we happened to travel on the Gurgaon-Jhajhar road. We chanced upon this trip and decided to spend a few minutes here. We went there when there weren't too many birds. Summer was just getting started and it was still hot. At that time we found the parking lot empty and there was absolutely no one inside. The bird sanctuary though was definitely well-maintained and we made up our minds to go back during season, but that hasn't happened yet. However, search on the Internet reveals that the sanctuary is doing good. Till 2018, it used to be closed for 5 months during summers. That duration has been reduced to 3 months now. And the list of resident and migratory birds here is also intriguing. We will definitely plan a visit as soon as we can. We'll be back soon with part 2 of this post, with more birding destinations in and around Delhi. Stay tuned.


A few years back, you could take your car inside the sanctuary, but now that is not possible. Now you need to park your car at the nearby metro station and walk towards the sanctuary. That can be a pain because it is a fairly long walk between the entrance gate and the watch tower and there is another exit near the watch tower. The prospect of walking all the way to the entrance gate then looks like a difficult and unnecessary task. It is better to take a cab both ways. 


If you are into bird watching, Delhi is a good place to be. Despite its huge human population, concrete structures, and pollution, Delhi still has a good variety of birds. Even though they have become fewer and less audible, you can still find them if you know where to go looking for them. While there are several places you can spot small birds in Delhi, in this post we are going to talk about places you can spot migratory birds and large and small aquatic birds. If you are looking for a weekend, day-long, or a few hour long outing, these are good spots to head to: Okhla Bird Sanctuary Right next to the Okhla Barrage, at the point where the Mahamaya Flyover begins, there is a spot that you would never suspect could be there. A quiet, green, and secluded Okhla Bird Sanctuary. Though you do occasionally hear some traffic noises, but more or less, it is just nature and you here. It is the little birds - the sunbirds, the prinias, larks, and robins that greet you at first. At this point, you can spot some waterbirds in the distance. Once you have walked a few hundred meters, you come across the ducks and geese. Some of them are migratory. You walk about a kilometre and half and you come across the watch towers. From here you can witness ducks, storks, and ibises taking flight. And if you are lucky, you may spot a family of blue bull (neel gai) making their way across the swamp. A few years back, you could take your car inside the sanctuary, but now that is not possible. Now you need to park your car at the nearby metro station and walk towards the sanctuary. That can be a pain because it is a fairly long walk between the entrance gate and the watch tower and there is another exit near the watch tower. The prospect of walking all the way to the entrance gate then looks like a difficult and unnecessary task. It is better to take a cab both ways. Okhla Bird Sanctuary, though beautiful, seems increasingly suffocated year by year and that also reflects in the number of birds that landed here this year. In January 2020, which is the peak birding season in this part of the country, the number of birds in Okhla Bird Sanctuary was 50% less than the last year. All around the sanctuary, there's massive construction that's getting closer and closer to the sanctuary. Some measures need to be taken, else we might lose this tiny patch of nature forever. Surajpur Bird Sanctuary This is a relatively smaller bird sanctuary with a trail that is about 2 kilometers in length. It is very close to Greater Noida and is about half an hour drive from our home in Noida. The walkway goes around a central wetland and you have an opportunity to see migratory birds up close. And while you are at it, you can also probably spot quite a few resident birds as well. The walk is even shorter than that inside the Okhla Bird Sanctuary, but the plus point is that the birds are up close and can be photographed much more easily. Also, the wetlands start as soon as you enter the sanctuary, unlike Bharatpur, where you have the walk considerable distance before you are able to spot big flocks of large birds. However, this sanctuary is also at a great risk. The land around the sanctuary has been bought by some big builders, and small housing colonies are also coming up around the sanctuary. These residential areas are so close by that you can hear what people residing there are talking about in their houses. The presence of humans also brings stray dogs, some of whom have made the sanctuary their home. And also, there were a few drains flowing into the sanctuary. One important thing to know when you head to the Surajpur Bird Sanctuary is that you need permission from the DFO to enter. You can visit their website to and check out the contact details there or check with your birder friends, they are sure to have some clue as to how to get the permissions. This strictness is to ensure that only those who are really interested in birding get here. Otherwise the bird sanctuary was becoming notorious for lack of security. Unlike most other sanctuaries, there are no charges to visit this bird sanctuary. If you have the permissions, you can simply walk in. There are people who go there for bird photography, and others that go there simply for birding. They usually just carry a field guide and a pair of binoculars, and spend hours just looking at the birds. However, the lack of tickets and proper boundaries has its own drawback. There have been sporadic incidents of snatching and also extreme PDA here because of which some of the reviews say that this is not a family destination. However, after the strictness, all that is under control as well. Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary It has been a while since we visited this bird sanctuary. Actually we have only visited it once when we happened to travel on the Gurgaon-Jhajhar road. We chanced upon this trip and decided to spend a few minutes here. We went there when there weren't too many birds. Summer was just getting started and it was still hot. At that time we found the parking lot empty and there was absolutely no one inside. The bird sanctuary though was definitely well-maintained and we made up our minds to go back during season, but that hasn't happened yet. However, search on the Internet reveals that the sanctuary is doing good. Till 2018, it used to be closed for 5 months during summers. That duration has been reduced to 3 months now. And the list of resident and migratory birds here is also intriguing. We will definitely plan a visit as soon as we can. We'll be back soon with part 2 of this post, with more birding destinations in and around Delhi. Stay tuned.


Okhla Bird Sanctuary, though beautiful, seems increasingly suffocated year by year and that also reflects in the number of birds that landed here this year. In January 2020, which is the peak birding season in this part of the country, the number of birds in Okhla Bird Sanctuary was 50% less than the last year. All around the sanctuary, there's massive construction that's getting closer and closer to the sanctuary. Some measures need to be taken, else we might lose this tiny patch of nature forever. 

If you are into bird watching, Delhi is a good place to be. Despite its huge human population, concrete structures, and pollution, Delhi still has a good variety of birds. Even though they have become fewer and less audible, you can still find them if you know where to go looking for them. While there are several places you can spot small birds in Delhi, in this post we are going to talk about places you can spot migratory birds and large and small aquatic birds. If you are looking for a weekend, day-long, or a few hour long outing, these are good spots to head to: Okhla Bird Sanctuary Right next to the Okhla Barrage, at the point where the Mahamaya Flyover begins, there is a spot that you would never suspect could be there. A quiet, green, and secluded Okhla Bird Sanctuary. Though you do occasionally hear some traffic noises, but more or less, it is just nature and you here. It is the little birds - the sunbirds, the prinias, larks, and robins that greet you at first. At this point, you can spot some waterbirds in the distance. Once you have walked a few hundred meters, you come across the ducks and geese. Some of them are migratory. You walk about a kilometre and half and you come across the watch towers. From here you can witness ducks, storks, and ibises taking flight. And if you are lucky, you may spot a family of blue bull (neel gai) making their way across the swamp. A few years back, you could take your car inside the sanctuary, but now that is not possible. Now you need to park your car at the nearby metro station and walk towards the sanctuary. That can be a pain because it is a fairly long walk between the entrance gate and the watch tower and there is another exit near the watch tower. The prospect of walking all the way to the entrance gate then looks like a difficult and unnecessary task. It is better to take a cab both ways. Okhla Bird Sanctuary, though beautiful, seems increasingly suffocated year by year and that also reflects in the number of birds that landed here this year. In January 2020, which is the peak birding season in this part of the country, the number of birds in Okhla Bird Sanctuary was 50% less than the last year. All around the sanctuary, there's massive construction that's getting closer and closer to the sanctuary. Some measures need to be taken, else we might lose this tiny patch of nature forever. Surajpur Bird Sanctuary This is a relatively smaller bird sanctuary with a trail that is about 2 kilometers in length. It is very close to Greater Noida and is about half an hour drive from our home in Noida. The walkway goes around a central wetland and you have an opportunity to see migratory birds up close. And while you are at it, you can also probably spot quite a few resident birds as well. The walk is even shorter than that inside the Okhla Bird Sanctuary, but the plus point is that the birds are up close and can be photographed much more easily. Also, the wetlands start as soon as you enter the sanctuary, unlike Bharatpur, where you have the walk considerable distance before you are able to spot big flocks of large birds. However, this sanctuary is also at a great risk. The land around the sanctuary has been bought by some big builders, and small housing colonies are also coming up around the sanctuary. These residential areas are so close by that you can hear what people residing there are talking about in their houses. The presence of humans also brings stray dogs, some of whom have made the sanctuary their home. And also, there were a few drains flowing into the sanctuary. One important thing to know when you head to the Surajpur Bird Sanctuary is that you need permission from the DFO to enter. You can visit their website to and check out the contact details there or check with your birder friends, they are sure to have some clue as to how to get the permissions. This strictness is to ensure that only those who are really interested in birding get here. Otherwise the bird sanctuary was becoming notorious for lack of security. Unlike most other sanctuaries, there are no charges to visit this bird sanctuary. If you have the permissions, you can simply walk in. There are people who go there for bird photography, and others that go there simply for birding. They usually just carry a field guide and a pair of binoculars, and spend hours just looking at the birds. However, the lack of tickets and proper boundaries has its own drawback. There have been sporadic incidents of snatching and also extreme PDA here because of which some of the reviews say that this is not a family destination. However, after the strictness, all that is under control as well. Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary It has been a while since we visited this bird sanctuary. Actually we have only visited it once when we happened to travel on the Gurgaon-Jhajhar road. We chanced upon this trip and decided to spend a few minutes here. We went there when there weren't too many birds. Summer was just getting started and it was still hot. At that time we found the parking lot empty and there was absolutely no one inside. The bird sanctuary though was definitely well-maintained and we made up our minds to go back during season, but that hasn't happened yet. However, search on the Internet reveals that the sanctuary is doing good. Till 2018, it used to be closed for 5 months during summers. That duration has been reduced to 3 months now. And the list of resident and migratory birds here is also intriguing. We will definitely plan a visit as soon as we can. We'll be back soon with part 2 of this post, with more birding destinations in and around Delhi. Stay tuned.

Surajpur Bird Sanctuary

This is a relatively smaller bird sanctuary with a trail that is about 2 kilometers in length. It is very close to Greater Noida and is about half an hour drive from our home in Noida. The walkway goes around a central wetland and you have an opportunity to see migratory birds up close. And while you are at it, you can also probably spot quite a few resident birds as well. The walk is even shorter than that inside the Okhla Bird Sanctuary, but the plus point is that the birds are up close and can be photographed much more easily. Also, the wetlands start as soon as you enter the sanctuary, unlike Bharatpur, where you have the walk considerable distance before you are able to spot big flocks of large birds.

If you are into bird watching, Delhi is a good place to be. Despite its huge human population, concrete structures, and pollution, Delhi still has a good variety of birds. Even though they have become fewer and less audible, you can still find them if you know where to go looking for them. While there are several places you can spot small birds in Delhi, in this post we are going to talk about places you can spot migratory birds and large and small aquatic birds. If you are looking for a weekend, day-long, or a few hour long outing, these are good spots to head to: Okhla Bird Sanctuary Right next to the Okhla Barrage, at the point where the Mahamaya Flyover begins, there is a spot that you would never suspect could be there. A quiet, green, and secluded Okhla Bird Sanctuary. Though you do occasionally hear some traffic noises, but more or less, it is just nature and you here. It is the little birds - the sunbirds, the prinias, larks, and robins that greet you at first. At this point, you can spot some waterbirds in the distance. Once you have walked a few hundred meters, you come across the ducks and geese. Some of them are migratory. You walk about a kilometre and half and you come across the watch towers. From here you can witness ducks, storks, and ibises taking flight. And if you are lucky, you may spot a family of blue bull (neel gai) making their way across the swamp. A few years back, you could take your car inside the sanctuary, but now that is not possible. Now you need to park your car at the nearby metro station and walk towards the sanctuary. That can be a pain because it is a fairly long walk between the entrance gate and the watch tower and there is another exit near the watch tower. The prospect of walking all the way to the entrance gate then looks like a difficult and unnecessary task. It is better to take a cab both ways. Okhla Bird Sanctuary, though beautiful, seems increasingly suffocated year by year and that also reflects in the number of birds that landed here this year. In January 2020, which is the peak birding season in this part of the country, the number of birds in Okhla Bird Sanctuary was 50% less than the last year. All around the sanctuary, there's massive construction that's getting closer and closer to the sanctuary. Some measures need to be taken, else we might lose this tiny patch of nature forever. Surajpur Bird Sanctuary This is a relatively smaller bird sanctuary with a trail that is about 2 kilometers in length. It is very close to Greater Noida and is about half an hour drive from our home in Noida. The walkway goes around a central wetland and you have an opportunity to see migratory birds up close. And while you are at it, you can also probably spot quite a few resident birds as well. The walk is even shorter than that inside the Okhla Bird Sanctuary, but the plus point is that the birds are up close and can be photographed much more easily. Also, the wetlands start as soon as you enter the sanctuary, unlike Bharatpur, where you have the walk considerable distance before you are able to spot big flocks of large birds. However, this sanctuary is also at a great risk. The land around the sanctuary has been bought by some big builders, and small housing colonies are also coming up around the sanctuary. These residential areas are so close by that you can hear what people residing there are talking about in their houses. The presence of humans also brings stray dogs, some of whom have made the sanctuary their home. And also, there were a few drains flowing into the sanctuary. One important thing to know when you head to the Surajpur Bird Sanctuary is that you need permission from the DFO to enter. You can visit their website to and check out the contact details there or check with your birder friends, they are sure to have some clue as to how to get the permissions. This strictness is to ensure that only those who are really interested in birding get here. Otherwise the bird sanctuary was becoming notorious for lack of security. Unlike most other sanctuaries, there are no charges to visit this bird sanctuary. If you have the permissions, you can simply walk in. There are people who go there for bird photography, and others that go there simply for birding. They usually just carry a field guide and a pair of binoculars, and spend hours just looking at the birds. However, the lack of tickets and proper boundaries has its own drawback. There have been sporadic incidents of snatching and also extreme PDA here because of which some of the reviews say that this is not a family destination. However, after the strictness, all that is under control as well. Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary It has been a while since we visited this bird sanctuary. Actually we have only visited it once when we happened to travel on the Gurgaon-Jhajhar road. We chanced upon this trip and decided to spend a few minutes here. We went there when there weren't too many birds. Summer was just getting started and it was still hot. At that time we found the parking lot empty and there was absolutely no one inside. The bird sanctuary though was definitely well-maintained and we made up our minds to go back during season, but that hasn't happened yet. However, search on the Internet reveals that the sanctuary is doing good. Till 2018, it used to be closed for 5 months during summers. That duration has been reduced to 3 months now. And the list of resident and migratory birds here is also intriguing. We will definitely plan a visit as soon as we can. We'll be back soon with part 2 of this post, with more birding destinations in and around Delhi. Stay tuned.


However, this sanctuary is also at a great risk. The land around the sanctuary has been bought by some big builders, and small housing colonies are also coming up around the sanctuary. These residential areas are so close by that you can hear what people residing there are talking about in their houses. The presence of humans also brings stray dogs, some of whom have made the sanctuary their home. And also, there were a few drains flowing into the sanctuary. 

If you are into bird watching, Delhi is a good place to be. Despite its huge human population, concrete structures, and pollution, Delhi still has a good variety of birds. Even though they have become fewer and less audible, you can still find them if you know where to go looking for them. While there are several places you can spot small birds in Delhi, in this post we are going to talk about places you can spot migratory birds and large and small aquatic birds. If you are looking for a weekend, day-long, or a few hour long outing, these are good spots to head to: Okhla Bird Sanctuary Right next to the Okhla Barrage, at the point where the Mahamaya Flyover begins, there is a spot that you would never suspect could be there. A quiet, green, and secluded Okhla Bird Sanctuary. Though you do occasionally hear some traffic noises, but more or less, it is just nature and you here. It is the little birds - the sunbirds, the prinias, larks, and robins that greet you at first. At this point, you can spot some waterbirds in the distance. Once you have walked a few hundred meters, you come across the ducks and geese. Some of them are migratory. You walk about a kilometre and half and you come across the watch towers. From here you can witness ducks, storks, and ibises taking flight. And if you are lucky, you may spot a family of blue bull (neel gai) making their way across the swamp. A few years back, you could take your car inside the sanctuary, but now that is not possible. Now you need to park your car at the nearby metro station and walk towards the sanctuary. That can be a pain because it is a fairly long walk between the entrance gate and the watch tower and there is another exit near the watch tower. The prospect of walking all the way to the entrance gate then looks like a difficult and unnecessary task. It is better to take a cab both ways. Okhla Bird Sanctuary, though beautiful, seems increasingly suffocated year by year and that also reflects in the number of birds that landed here this year. In January 2020, which is the peak birding season in this part of the country, the number of birds in Okhla Bird Sanctuary was 50% less than the last year. All around the sanctuary, there's massive construction that's getting closer and closer to the sanctuary. Some measures need to be taken, else we might lose this tiny patch of nature forever. Surajpur Bird Sanctuary This is a relatively smaller bird sanctuary with a trail that is about 2 kilometers in length. It is very close to Greater Noida and is about half an hour drive from our home in Noida. The walkway goes around a central wetland and you have an opportunity to see migratory birds up close. And while you are at it, you can also probably spot quite a few resident birds as well. The walk is even shorter than that inside the Okhla Bird Sanctuary, but the plus point is that the birds are up close and can be photographed much more easily. Also, the wetlands start as soon as you enter the sanctuary, unlike Bharatpur, where you have the walk considerable distance before you are able to spot big flocks of large birds. However, this sanctuary is also at a great risk. The land around the sanctuary has been bought by some big builders, and small housing colonies are also coming up around the sanctuary. These residential areas are so close by that you can hear what people residing there are talking about in their houses. The presence of humans also brings stray dogs, some of whom have made the sanctuary their home. And also, there were a few drains flowing into the sanctuary. One important thing to know when you head to the Surajpur Bird Sanctuary is that you need permission from the DFO to enter. You can visit their website to and check out the contact details there or check with your birder friends, they are sure to have some clue as to how to get the permissions. This strictness is to ensure that only those who are really interested in birding get here. Otherwise the bird sanctuary was becoming notorious for lack of security. Unlike most other sanctuaries, there are no charges to visit this bird sanctuary. If you have the permissions, you can simply walk in. There are people who go there for bird photography, and others that go there simply for birding. They usually just carry a field guide and a pair of binoculars, and spend hours just looking at the birds. However, the lack of tickets and proper boundaries has its own drawback. There have been sporadic incidents of snatching and also extreme PDA here because of which some of the reviews say that this is not a family destination. However, after the strictness, all that is under control as well. Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary It has been a while since we visited this bird sanctuary. Actually we have only visited it once when we happened to travel on the Gurgaon-Jhajhar road. We chanced upon this trip and decided to spend a few minutes here. We went there when there weren't too many birds. Summer was just getting started and it was still hot. At that time we found the parking lot empty and there was absolutely no one inside. The bird sanctuary though was definitely well-maintained and we made up our minds to go back during season, but that hasn't happened yet. However, search on the Internet reveals that the sanctuary is doing good. Till 2018, it used to be closed for 5 months during summers. That duration has been reduced to 3 months now. And the list of resident and migratory birds here is also intriguing. We will definitely plan a visit as soon as we can. We'll be back soon with part 2 of this post, with more birding destinations in and around Delhi. Stay tuned.


One important thing to know when you head to the Surajpur Bird Sanctuary is that you need permission from the DFO to enter. You can visit their website to and check out the contact details there or check with your birder friends, they are sure to have some clue as to how to get the permissions. This strictness is to ensure that only those who are really interested in birding get here. Otherwise the bird sanctuary was becoming notorious for lack of security. 


If you are into bird watching, Delhi is a good place to be. Despite its huge human population, concrete structures, and pollution, Delhi still has a good variety of birds. Even though they have become fewer and less audible, you can still find them if you know where to go looking for them. While there are several places you can spot small birds in Delhi, in this post we are going to talk about places you can spot migratory birds and large and small aquatic birds. If you are looking for a weekend, day-long, or a few hour long outing, these are good spots to head to: Okhla Bird Sanctuary Right next to the Okhla Barrage, at the point where the Mahamaya Flyover begins, there is a spot that you would never suspect could be there. A quiet, green, and secluded Okhla Bird Sanctuary. Though you do occasionally hear some traffic noises, but more or less, it is just nature and you here. It is the little birds - the sunbirds, the prinias, larks, and robins that greet you at first. At this point, you can spot some waterbirds in the distance. Once you have walked a few hundred meters, you come across the ducks and geese. Some of them are migratory. You walk about a kilometre and half and you come across the watch towers. From here you can witness ducks, storks, and ibises taking flight. And if you are lucky, you may spot a family of blue bull (neel gai) making their way across the swamp. A few years back, you could take your car inside the sanctuary, but now that is not possible. Now you need to park your car at the nearby metro station and walk towards the sanctuary. That can be a pain because it is a fairly long walk between the entrance gate and the watch tower and there is another exit near the watch tower. The prospect of walking all the way to the entrance gate then looks like a difficult and unnecessary task. It is better to take a cab both ways. Okhla Bird Sanctuary, though beautiful, seems increasingly suffocated year by year and that also reflects in the number of birds that landed here this year. In January 2020, which is the peak birding season in this part of the country, the number of birds in Okhla Bird Sanctuary was 50% less than the last year. All around the sanctuary, there's massive construction that's getting closer and closer to the sanctuary. Some measures need to be taken, else we might lose this tiny patch of nature forever. Surajpur Bird Sanctuary This is a relatively smaller bird sanctuary with a trail that is about 2 kilometers in length. It is very close to Greater Noida and is about half an hour drive from our home in Noida. The walkway goes around a central wetland and you have an opportunity to see migratory birds up close. And while you are at it, you can also probably spot quite a few resident birds as well. The walk is even shorter than that inside the Okhla Bird Sanctuary, but the plus point is that the birds are up close and can be photographed much more easily. Also, the wetlands start as soon as you enter the sanctuary, unlike Bharatpur, where you have the walk considerable distance before you are able to spot big flocks of large birds. However, this sanctuary is also at a great risk. The land around the sanctuary has been bought by some big builders, and small housing colonies are also coming up around the sanctuary. These residential areas are so close by that you can hear what people residing there are talking about in their houses. The presence of humans also brings stray dogs, some of whom have made the sanctuary their home. And also, there were a few drains flowing into the sanctuary. One important thing to know when you head to the Surajpur Bird Sanctuary is that you need permission from the DFO to enter. You can visit their website to and check out the contact details there or check with your birder friends, they are sure to have some clue as to how to get the permissions. This strictness is to ensure that only those who are really interested in birding get here. Otherwise the bird sanctuary was becoming notorious for lack of security. Unlike most other sanctuaries, there are no charges to visit this bird sanctuary. If you have the permissions, you can simply walk in. There are people who go there for bird photography, and others that go there simply for birding. They usually just carry a field guide and a pair of binoculars, and spend hours just looking at the birds. However, the lack of tickets and proper boundaries has its own drawback. There have been sporadic incidents of snatching and also extreme PDA here because of which some of the reviews say that this is not a family destination. However, after the strictness, all that is under control as well. Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary It has been a while since we visited this bird sanctuary. Actually we have only visited it once when we happened to travel on the Gurgaon-Jhajhar road. We chanced upon this trip and decided to spend a few minutes here. We went there when there weren't too many birds. Summer was just getting started and it was still hot. At that time we found the parking lot empty and there was absolutely no one inside. The bird sanctuary though was definitely well-maintained and we made up our minds to go back during season, but that hasn't happened yet. However, search on the Internet reveals that the sanctuary is doing good. Till 2018, it used to be closed for 5 months during summers. That duration has been reduced to 3 months now. And the list of resident and migratory birds here is also intriguing. We will definitely plan a visit as soon as we can. We'll be back soon with part 2 of this post, with more birding destinations in and around Delhi. Stay tuned.
Unlike most other sanctuaries, there are no charges to visit this bird sanctuary. If you have the permissions, you can simply walk in. There are people who go there for bird photography, and others that go there simply for birding. They usually just carry a field guide and a pair of binoculars, and spend hours just looking at the birds. However, the lack of tickets and proper boundaries has its own drawback. There have been sporadic incidents of snatching and also extreme PDA here because of which some of the reviews say that this is not a family destination. However, after the strictness, all that is under control as well. 

If you are into bird watching, Delhi is a good place to be. Despite its huge human population, concrete structures, and pollution, Delhi still has a good variety of birds. Even though they have become fewer and less audible, you can still find them if you know where to go looking for them. While there are several places you can spot small birds in Delhi, in this post we are going to talk about places you can spot migratory birds and large and small aquatic birds. If you are looking for a weekend, day-long, or a few hour long outing, these are good spots to head to: Okhla Bird Sanctuary Right next to the Okhla Barrage, at the point where the Mahamaya Flyover begins, there is a spot that you would never suspect could be there. A quiet, green, and secluded Okhla Bird Sanctuary. Though you do occasionally hear some traffic noises, but more or less, it is just nature and you here. It is the little birds - the sunbirds, the prinias, larks, and robins that greet you at first. At this point, you can spot some waterbirds in the distance. Once you have walked a few hundred meters, you come across the ducks and geese. Some of them are migratory. You walk about a kilometre and half and you come across the watch towers. From here you can witness ducks, storks, and ibises taking flight. And if you are lucky, you may spot a family of blue bull (neel gai) making their way across the swamp. A few years back, you could take your car inside the sanctuary, but now that is not possible. Now you need to park your car at the nearby metro station and walk towards the sanctuary. That can be a pain because it is a fairly long walk between the entrance gate and the watch tower and there is another exit near the watch tower. The prospect of walking all the way to the entrance gate then looks like a difficult and unnecessary task. It is better to take a cab both ways. Okhla Bird Sanctuary, though beautiful, seems increasingly suffocated year by year and that also reflects in the number of birds that landed here this year. In January 2020, which is the peak birding season in this part of the country, the number of birds in Okhla Bird Sanctuary was 50% less than the last year. All around the sanctuary, there's massive construction that's getting closer and closer to the sanctuary. Some measures need to be taken, else we might lose this tiny patch of nature forever. Surajpur Bird Sanctuary This is a relatively smaller bird sanctuary with a trail that is about 2 kilometers in length. It is very close to Greater Noida and is about half an hour drive from our home in Noida. The walkway goes around a central wetland and you have an opportunity to see migratory birds up close. And while you are at it, you can also probably spot quite a few resident birds as well. The walk is even shorter than that inside the Okhla Bird Sanctuary, but the plus point is that the birds are up close and can be photographed much more easily. Also, the wetlands start as soon as you enter the sanctuary, unlike Bharatpur, where you have the walk considerable distance before you are able to spot big flocks of large birds. However, this sanctuary is also at a great risk. The land around the sanctuary has been bought by some big builders, and small housing colonies are also coming up around the sanctuary. These residential areas are so close by that you can hear what people residing there are talking about in their houses. The presence of humans also brings stray dogs, some of whom have made the sanctuary their home. And also, there were a few drains flowing into the sanctuary. One important thing to know when you head to the Surajpur Bird Sanctuary is that you need permission from the DFO to enter. You can visit their website to and check out the contact details there or check with your birder friends, they are sure to have some clue as to how to get the permissions. This strictness is to ensure that only those who are really interested in birding get here. Otherwise the bird sanctuary was becoming notorious for lack of security. Unlike most other sanctuaries, there are no charges to visit this bird sanctuary. If you have the permissions, you can simply walk in. There are people who go there for bird photography, and others that go there simply for birding. They usually just carry a field guide and a pair of binoculars, and spend hours just looking at the birds. However, the lack of tickets and proper boundaries has its own drawback. There have been sporadic incidents of snatching and also extreme PDA here because of which some of the reviews say that this is not a family destination. However, after the strictness, all that is under control as well. Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary It has been a while since we visited this bird sanctuary. Actually we have only visited it once when we happened to travel on the Gurgaon-Jhajhar road. We chanced upon this trip and decided to spend a few minutes here. We went there when there weren't too many birds. Summer was just getting started and it was still hot. At that time we found the parking lot empty and there was absolutely no one inside. The bird sanctuary though was definitely well-maintained and we made up our minds to go back during season, but that hasn't happened yet. However, search on the Internet reveals that the sanctuary is doing good. Till 2018, it used to be closed for 5 months during summers. That duration has been reduced to 3 months now. And the list of resident and migratory birds here is also intriguing. We will definitely plan a visit as soon as we can. We'll be back soon with part 2 of this post, with more birding destinations in and around Delhi. Stay tuned.

Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary

It has been a while since we visited this bird sanctuary. Actually we have only visited it once when we happened to travel on the Gurgaon-Jhajhar road. We chanced upon this trip and decided to spend a few minutes here. We went there when there weren't too many birds. Summer was just getting started and it was still hot. 

If you are into bird watching, Delhi is a good place to be. Despite its huge human population, concrete structures, and pollution, Delhi still has a good variety of birds. Even though they have become fewer and less audible, you can still find them if you know where to go looking for them. While there are several places you can spot small birds in Delhi, in this post we are going to talk about places you can spot migratory birds and large and small aquatic birds. If you are looking for a weekend, day-long, or a few hour long outing, these are good spots to head to: Okhla Bird Sanctuary Right next to the Okhla Barrage, at the point where the Mahamaya Flyover begins, there is a spot that you would never suspect could be there. A quiet, green, and secluded Okhla Bird Sanctuary. Though you do occasionally hear some traffic noises, but more or less, it is just nature and you here. It is the little birds - the sunbirds, the prinias, larks, and robins that greet you at first. At this point, you can spot some waterbirds in the distance. Once you have walked a few hundred meters, you come across the ducks and geese. Some of them are migratory. You walk about a kilometre and half and you come across the watch towers. From here you can witness ducks, storks, and ibises taking flight. And if you are lucky, you may spot a family of blue bull (neel gai) making their way across the swamp. A few years back, you could take your car inside the sanctuary, but now that is not possible. Now you need to park your car at the nearby metro station and walk towards the sanctuary. That can be a pain because it is a fairly long walk between the entrance gate and the watch tower and there is another exit near the watch tower. The prospect of walking all the way to the entrance gate then looks like a difficult and unnecessary task. It is better to take a cab both ways. Okhla Bird Sanctuary, though beautiful, seems increasingly suffocated year by year and that also reflects in the number of birds that landed here this year. In January 2020, which is the peak birding season in this part of the country, the number of birds in Okhla Bird Sanctuary was 50% less than the last year. All around the sanctuary, there's massive construction that's getting closer and closer to the sanctuary. Some measures need to be taken, else we might lose this tiny patch of nature forever. Surajpur Bird Sanctuary This is a relatively smaller bird sanctuary with a trail that is about 2 kilometers in length. It is very close to Greater Noida and is about half an hour drive from our home in Noida. The walkway goes around a central wetland and you have an opportunity to see migratory birds up close. And while you are at it, you can also probably spot quite a few resident birds as well. The walk is even shorter than that inside the Okhla Bird Sanctuary, but the plus point is that the birds are up close and can be photographed much more easily. Also, the wetlands start as soon as you enter the sanctuary, unlike Bharatpur, where you have the walk considerable distance before you are able to spot big flocks of large birds. However, this sanctuary is also at a great risk. The land around the sanctuary has been bought by some big builders, and small housing colonies are also coming up around the sanctuary. These residential areas are so close by that you can hear what people residing there are talking about in their houses. The presence of humans also brings stray dogs, some of whom have made the sanctuary their home. And also, there were a few drains flowing into the sanctuary. One important thing to know when you head to the Surajpur Bird Sanctuary is that you need permission from the DFO to enter. You can visit their website to and check out the contact details there or check with your birder friends, they are sure to have some clue as to how to get the permissions. This strictness is to ensure that only those who are really interested in birding get here. Otherwise the bird sanctuary was becoming notorious for lack of security. Unlike most other sanctuaries, there are no charges to visit this bird sanctuary. If you have the permissions, you can simply walk in. There are people who go there for bird photography, and others that go there simply for birding. They usually just carry a field guide and a pair of binoculars, and spend hours just looking at the birds. However, the lack of tickets and proper boundaries has its own drawback. There have been sporadic incidents of snatching and also extreme PDA here because of which some of the reviews say that this is not a family destination. However, after the strictness, all that is under control as well. Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary It has been a while since we visited this bird sanctuary. Actually we have only visited it once when we happened to travel on the Gurgaon-Jhajhar road. We chanced upon this trip and decided to spend a few minutes here. We went there when there weren't too many birds. Summer was just getting started and it was still hot. At that time we found the parking lot empty and there was absolutely no one inside. The bird sanctuary though was definitely well-maintained and we made up our minds to go back during season, but that hasn't happened yet. However, search on the Internet reveals that the sanctuary is doing good. Till 2018, it used to be closed for 5 months during summers. That duration has been reduced to 3 months now. And the list of resident and migratory birds here is also intriguing. We will definitely plan a visit as soon as we can. We'll be back soon with part 2 of this post, with more birding destinations in and around Delhi. Stay tuned.


At that time we found the parking lot empty and there was absolutely no one inside. The bird sanctuary though was definitely well-maintained and we made up our minds to go back during season, but that hasn't happened yet. However, search on the Internet reveals that the sanctuary is doing good. Till 2018, it used to be closed for 5 months during summers. That duration has been reduced to 3 months now. And the list of resident and migratory birds here is also intriguing. We will definitely plan a visit as soon as we can.


If you are into bird watching, Delhi is a good place to be. Despite its huge human population, concrete structures, and pollution, Delhi still has a good variety of birds. Even though they have become fewer and less audible, you can still find them if you know where to go looking for them. While there are several places you can spot small birds in Delhi, in this post we are going to talk about places you can spot migratory birds and large and small aquatic birds. If you are looking for a weekend, day-long, or a few hour long outing, these are good spots to head to: Okhla Bird Sanctuary Right next to the Okhla Barrage, at the point where the Mahamaya Flyover begins, there is a spot that you would never suspect could be there. A quiet, green, and secluded Okhla Bird Sanctuary. Though you do occasionally hear some traffic noises, but more or less, it is just nature and you here. It is the little birds - the sunbirds, the prinias, larks, and robins that greet you at first. At this point, you can spot some waterbirds in the distance. Once you have walked a few hundred meters, you come across the ducks and geese. Some of them are migratory. You walk about a kilometre and half and you come across the watch towers. From here you can witness ducks, storks, and ibises taking flight. And if you are lucky, you may spot a family of blue bull (neel gai) making their way across the swamp. A few years back, you could take your car inside the sanctuary, but now that is not possible. Now you need to park your car at the nearby metro station and walk towards the sanctuary. That can be a pain because it is a fairly long walk between the entrance gate and the watch tower and there is another exit near the watch tower. The prospect of walking all the way to the entrance gate then looks like a difficult and unnecessary task. It is better to take a cab both ways. Okhla Bird Sanctuary, though beautiful, seems increasingly suffocated year by year and that also reflects in the number of birds that landed here this year. In January 2020, which is the peak birding season in this part of the country, the number of birds in Okhla Bird Sanctuary was 50% less than the last year. All around the sanctuary, there's massive construction that's getting closer and closer to the sanctuary. Some measures need to be taken, else we might lose this tiny patch of nature forever. Surajpur Bird Sanctuary This is a relatively smaller bird sanctuary with a trail that is about 2 kilometers in length. It is very close to Greater Noida and is about half an hour drive from our home in Noida. The walkway goes around a central wetland and you have an opportunity to see migratory birds up close. And while you are at it, you can also probably spot quite a few resident birds as well. The walk is even shorter than that inside the Okhla Bird Sanctuary, but the plus point is that the birds are up close and can be photographed much more easily. Also, the wetlands start as soon as you enter the sanctuary, unlike Bharatpur, where you have the walk considerable distance before you are able to spot big flocks of large birds. However, this sanctuary is also at a great risk. The land around the sanctuary has been bought by some big builders, and small housing colonies are also coming up around the sanctuary. These residential areas are so close by that you can hear what people residing there are talking about in their houses. The presence of humans also brings stray dogs, some of whom have made the sanctuary their home. And also, there were a few drains flowing into the sanctuary. One important thing to know when you head to the Surajpur Bird Sanctuary is that you need permission from the DFO to enter. You can visit their website to and check out the contact details there or check with your birder friends, they are sure to have some clue as to how to get the permissions. This strictness is to ensure that only those who are really interested in birding get here. Otherwise the bird sanctuary was becoming notorious for lack of security. Unlike most other sanctuaries, there are no charges to visit this bird sanctuary. If you have the permissions, you can simply walk in. There are people who go there for bird photography, and others that go there simply for birding. They usually just carry a field guide and a pair of binoculars, and spend hours just looking at the birds. However, the lack of tickets and proper boundaries has its own drawback. There have been sporadic incidents of snatching and also extreme PDA here because of which some of the reviews say that this is not a family destination. However, after the strictness, all that is under control as well. Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary It has been a while since we visited this bird sanctuary. Actually we have only visited it once when we happened to travel on the Gurgaon-Jhajhar road. We chanced upon this trip and decided to spend a few minutes here. We went there when there weren't too many birds. Summer was just getting started and it was still hot. At that time we found the parking lot empty and there was absolutely no one inside. The bird sanctuary though was definitely well-maintained and we made up our minds to go back during season, but that hasn't happened yet. However, search on the Internet reveals that the sanctuary is doing good. Till 2018, it used to be closed for 5 months during summers. That duration has been reduced to 3 months now. And the list of resident and migratory birds here is also intriguing. We will definitely plan a visit as soon as we can. We'll be back soon with part 2 of this post, with more birding destinations in and around Delhi. Stay tuned.


We'll be back soon with part 2 of this post, with more birding destinations in and around Delhi. Stay tuned. 

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As winter approaches North India, various wetlands start seeing thousands of Migratory Birds and Bharatpur's Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary is one of the most popular wetlands around National Capital region of India and hence sees lot of tourists from Delhi/Noida/Gurgaon region. And it's not limited to nearby tourists. Lot of serious birders visit Bharatpur during Winters from various parts of the country as well as foreigner tourists. This blog-post shares tips to plan a successful trip to Bharatpur from Delhi and what kind of things to take care while planning this birding trip. One day Road-Trip to Bharatpur Birds Sanctuary from Delhi : Winters Special
























We were definitely fortunate when it comes to the number of Herons and Egrets we were able to sight during our visit to the Keoladeo National Park in November. However, at that time, we did not know which was which. These two birds are so similar when it comes to their behavior that it takes an expert to identify them separately. We referred to our birding companion - A Pictorial Field Guide to Birds of India. However, I am sure we have made some mistakes in case of a few birds. In case you can spot any, please do point them out. We would be eternally grateful. Great Egrets.Both Herons and Egrets, and also the Bitterns, belong to the family Ardeidae. Though some argue that these are actually same birds with the only differences being that Egrets usually have white or buff plumage and develop distinctive white plumes during the breeding season. Otherwise, both these birds seek the same kind of habitat - wetlands. They breed in trees close to the wetlands, and they fly with their necks retracted, unlike storks and cranes who fly with their necks outstretched. Grey Heron in Flight. Experts are still undecided about what makes a heron, a heron and an egret, an egret. So much so that though these birds are classified under separate genera - Ardea and Egretta - the only marked difference in the definition of these genera is the size. Ardea consists of larger of the Herons whereas Egretta consists of the smaller ones. Though the size difference is often indistinct. Both the birds typically have a large wingspan and look very graceful in flight. Great Egret in Flight. You will often see these birds standing still with one leg raised and their necks outstretched carefully watching out for prey to come close enough so that they can snap it up with a quick movement of their neck and beaks. These birds are carnivorous and feed mainly on fish, frogs, lizards, and molluscs. Some herons, such as the cattle egret, often move away from the wetlands and follow cattle. These egrets feed on the insects that are disturbed by the movement of cattle in bushes. Juvenile Purple Heron(?) in the foreground with Great Egrets in the Distance. Another aspect that is unique about Herons is that they have powder down. These peculiar down feathers that often disintegrate into a powdery substance are thought to be of special significance to these birds because of their wet habitat and damp surroundings. It is also believed that these birds use the powder to preen and coat the feathers that cover the rest of their body. It is supposed to protect these feathers from slime and dirt. Purple Heron. It took us a while to associate these tall, graceful birds with the little cattle egrets we are used to seeing in the city. Initially I thought that these were cranes. However, when upon further research I discovered that though cranes and herons may look alike at a glance, they are indeed two very different birds. While Herons belong to the order Pelecaniformes, Cranes are part of the Gruiformes order. Unlike Herons who hold their necks in an "S" shape and completely retract them during flight, cranes old their necks straight. Herons have longer beaks and necks than cranes, though cranes typically are bigger in size. Indian Pond Heron. We were unfortunately not able to spot any cranes during our visit to Keoladeo. Cranes that are supposed to flock in Keoladeo during winters are Siberian Crane, Sarus Crane, Demoiselle Crane, and Common Crane. Of these, Siberian Crane does not visit India any more. A single pair of these critically endangered birds was last seen in Keoladeo National Park in 2002. Since then there is no recorded sighting of these birds in India. This is sad. If you think you have seen a Siberian crane during your visit to Keoladeo National Park, you are either mistaken or unbelievably fortunate and on the verge of being famous. Grey Heron keeping company with Black-Headed and Glossy Ibises. Herons and Egrets keep company with other water birds such as ducks, coots, waterhens etc. You will often spot one or two individuals standing tall among a flock of other smaller birds. In the above photograph, a grey heron is seen peacefully existing with the much smaller ibises. The ibises in this picture are the black-necked Ibis and the Glossy Ibis, which are often mistaken as white Ibis and Black Ibis, respectively. Though the black-necked Ibis is nearly threatened, they were a common sight in Keoladeo National Park. Grey Heron up close. The dotted line running down then neck of a grey heron creates an illusion of stitch marks and you may be forgiven if you confuse the bird with a stuff toy. From a distance and also at various stages of this heron's life, it may resemble the Great Egret quite a bit. However, two of the most distinctive identifying characteristics of the Egret are its dark legs and yellow beaks, which are also almost always easily identifiable from a distance, unless the legs are hidden behind the bushes or under water. Juvenile Cinnamon Bittern. A smaller member of the Ardeidae family, the bittern is classified into a separate subfamily Botaurinae. Typically smaller than the other herons, bitterns also exhibit slightly different behavior patterns. Bitterns are smaller and plumper than a typical Heron. They also have shorter necks, though they too can retract and elongate their necks. Unlike Herons who patiently wait for their prey to wander close enough, bitterns, and also pond herons, at times are known to chase down their prey. This kind of active hunting is not seen in other Herons. The bittern seen above has a similar plumage to the Indian Pond Heron (scroll up to see), but has a cinnamon colored underbelly as opposed to a white one in the pond heron. Grey Heron with Cattle Egret (?). In the photograph above, you can see a Grey Heron in close vicinity of a cattle egret. While structurally, both the birds seem similar, there are clear differences that can help you distinguish one from the other. While the Heron (on the left) has light-colored legs, the egret has darker, almost black, legs. Also, the beak in case of a Heron is pinkish, whereas an egret has a yellow beak. Both these birds, in the photograph above, are quite interested in something that is happening on their left. Intermediate Egret (?). This looks like a cattle egret though I cannot be sure. It's neck is too short for a great egret, though admittedly the bird looks a bit bigger than the egrets we see in the city. So may be it is an intermediate Egret. I will leave it to the experts to judge. However, such a picture of an egret standing still at the edge of water looks deceptively peaceful. I also found out what is known as the bagula in India (bagula bhagat for its unique habit of standing with one leg folded) is the same bird as the Great Egret. Purple Heron with Great Egret in the distance. Here are two of the larger birds in the same frame. The bird in the foreground is the purple heron and the one in the far distance is the great egret. You can see the thick "S" shaped neck of the Great Egret, while the purple heron up close has a slender neck, though this bird too can retract its neck when it so feels like. We were really grateful to spot these graceful birds in their natural habitat. The Keoladeo National Park is one of the very few walled wetlands where migratory and resident birds are safe from human interference. Cattle Egret. The sheer variety of birds at Keoladeo National Park is overwhelming. More than 400 different species have been observed here. Of those, we were only able to see a handful. At the time, we thought some of these herons and egrets and storks were migratory, but it turns out that they are all resident. The only migratory birds we saw were the smaller ones. The park is already lively, and I wonder how much more lively it would be once the migratory birds arrive. Anyhow, I think February would be a good time for another visit.
Juvenile Purple Heron(?) in the foreground with Great Egrets in the Distance

Herons and Egrets at Keoladeo National Park || Waterbirds and Waders at Bharatpur











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