Okhla Bird Sanctuary
The Okhla Bird Sanctuary is situated in Ghaziabad near New Delhi, in-between Okhla
Barrage on the river Yamuna and Okhla wier. With an aim to safeguard the hundreds
of local and migratory birds and provide a safe sanctuary for their breeding, the
area around the Water body was taken up and developed as a tourist spot and thus
the Okhla Bird Sanctuary was declared and brought into existence in 1990.Kalindi
Kunj, to the south of Okhla Bird Sanctuary, is a very blissful and enjoyable place
in its serene surroundings and natural bounty.
Out of the around 250 species of birds sighted in this area , 160 species are of
migratory birds coming all the way from Tibet, Europe and Siberia for their winter
sojourn.
With the onset of winters, these migratory birds start coming in from the month
of November and as soon as the summers set in, they start flying back to their homes.
Their stay is for nearly 3-4 months from November to March which is also the appropriate
time for bird lovers to visit the sanctuary.
The birds and aquatic animals that can be sighted in the Okhla Bird Sanctuary:
Migratory Birds – Geese, Teal, Coot, Pin-tail,
Spot-Bill, Pochard, Pelican, Shovler, Gadwal,s Mallard and many more.
Local Migratory Birds
Comb duck, Coots, Lesser whistling teal, Northern pintail, Bar headed goose, Common
shell duck, Marbled duck, Pond heron, Open billed stork, Grey lag goose, Sarus
crane, Egrets, Flamingos, Great white pelican, Cormorants, Cranes, White spoonbill,
Black naked stork, Peafowl, Cuckoos, Darters, White breasted kingfisher, Sandpipers,
Common teal. Gadwall, Mallard, Spot billed duck, Common pilchard, Red crested pochard,
Ruddy shelduck, Wigeon, Painted stork, Tufted duck, Tufted pochard, Lesser adjutant,
etc.
Aquatic Animals
Turtles, Water Snakes.
Fishes
Rohu, Catla, Mackeral [Bhangur] etc.
Trees and Plants
Sheesham [Rosewood] , Babool [Acacia catechu] , Gul Mohar
[Delonix regia], Amaltash [Cassia fistula],
Cassia Semea, Salix, Bottle Brush, Peepal [Ficus religiosa],
Bargad [Banyan / Ficus benghalensis] etc.