Chilika Lake is a brackish water lagoon, spread over the Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Odisha state on the east coast of India.

It is located at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal, covering an area of over 1,100 sq. km.

It is the biggest lake of India.

This lake is the largest coastal lagoon in India and the largest brackish water lagoon in the world after The New Caledonian barrier reef.

It has been listed as a tentative UNESCO World Heritage site.

It is the largest salt water lake in India.

It is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent. The lake is home to a number of threatened species of plants and animals.

In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

The lake is an ecosystem with large fishery resources.

It sustains more than 150,000 fisher–folk living in 132 villages on the shore and islands

As per the Water Bird Status Survey-2022 conducted in the Chilika, 10,74,173 water birds (107 species) and 37,953 individuals (76 wetland dependent species) were counted in the entire lagoon.

Last year, the count in the Chilika was over 12 lakhs.

Members who were part of the census also reported sighting the Mongolian gull.

The census was undertaken jointly by the Odisha State Wildlife Organisation, the Chilika Development Authority (CDA) and the Bombay Natural History Society.

A total of 3,58,889 birds (97 species) were counted in Nalabana Bird Sanctuary — a decrease by 65,899 from the previous year.

The decrease is attributed to high water level and presence of water in cultivated fields in adjoining areas.

Water birds love to flock to large mudflats.

Among the three pintail species of ducks, the northern pintail (1,72,285), gadwall (1,53,985), Eurasian wigeon (1,50,843) accounted for over one lakh in this year’s count.

However, the population of gadwall and Eurasian wigeon was less than that of the previous year.

There is a marginal decrease in the number of species such as the northern shoveler, tufted duck and red crested pochard.

An increase in the population of the northern pintail, common coot and common pochard was noticed.

The increase in numbers for the greater flamingo at Nalabana mudflat indicates that the restoration at Nalabana is effective.

This year’s greater flamingo count was the highest in the last decade. It is largely due to appropriate management of mudflats,

Overall, the local resident species such as purple swamphen, purple heron, Indian moorhen, and jacanas were found in higher numbers.

Chilika Lake hosts birds migrating from thousands of miles away from the Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, Aral Sea, remote parts of Russia, Mongolia, Central and Southeast Asia, Ladakh and the Himalayas.

The birds find the vast mud-field and abundant fish stock suitable to congregate.

Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Rajasthan

Migratory Birds Found Here: Painted Stork, Palaeartic Migratory Waterfowl.

 Keoladeo Ghana National Park or most popularly known as Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Rajasthan is an important wintering ground for Palaearctic migratory waterfowl.

It also has a large congregation of non-migratory resident breeding birds such as Magpie Robins, Lapwings, Herons, Spoonbills, Water Hens, Egrets and the most famous Sarus Cranes.

Covering an area of just 2,873 hectares, the National Park consists of grasslands, woodlands, woodland swamps and wetlands.

The sanctuary is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and once used to be famous as the wintering ground of the Siberian Crane.

Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, Kerala

Migratory Birds Found Here: Siberian Cranes, Indian Peafowl, Egrets

 Located on the banks of Vembanad Lake, Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary is another favourite destination of native as well as migratory birds in India.

It hosts numerous migratory birds during winter months such as the migratory Siberian crane, cuckoo, owl, egret and water duck.

Little Rann of Kutch, Gujarat

Migratory Birds Found Here: Flamingos, The Great Bustard Deer, Pelicans

The Little Rann of Kutch is the southern extension of the Great Rann in Gujarat and is known to host many migratory birds during winters.

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

Some of these migratory birds found here include Common Crane, Demoiselle Cranes, European Roller, Lesser Florican, Greater Hoopoe Lark, Collared Pratincole, Red-necked Phalarope, Cream-colored Courser and Dalmatian Pelican.

Little Rann of Kutch is also famous for Asiatic Wild Ass, but you can also spot Houbara Bustard, cranes, Macqueen’s Bustard, Sociable Lapwing and reef egrets.

Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh

Migratory Birds Found Here: Bugun liocichla, Ward’s trogon, Red-headed trogon

A part of the Kameng Elephant Reserve, Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary is home to almost 454 species of Himalayan birds including blue jay, Bugun liocichla, tragopan and group of finches.

The high altitude sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh is located on the Himalayan foothills and is known to be a bird-watching destination.

Due to its commendable biodiversity that contains a wide range of flora like bamboo thickets, alpine forests and evergreen trees, Eaglenest Sanctuary is a paradise for any nature lover.

It is very special for small birds like Tit, Sibia, Nuthatch, Yuhina and Bush Robin.

Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary, Gujarat

Migratory Birds Found Here: Rosy pelicans, Flamingoes, White storks

Located just 64 km away from Ahemdabad, Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary in Gujarat is the largest wetland bird sanctuary in the state.

The sanctuary consists of a sprawling lake and a large marshy area around the lake, making it a hotspot of migratory birds during the winter months.

These migratory birds include rosy pelicans, purple moorhen, waterfowls, heron, flamingos and species of bitterns, crakes and grebes. It also

Ranganathitthu Bird Sanctuary, Karnataka

Migratory Birds Found Here: Woolly-necked stork, Great stone plover, River tern White Ibis

Located in the state of Karnataka, the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary in Srirangapatna consists of six isolated islets on the banks of the Kaveri River in Karnataka.

It is the largest bird sanctuary in Karnataka that attracts a large number of exotic migratory bird species such as Woolly-necked stork, great stone plover, river tern White Ibis, Partridge, Spoonbills, Egret and others from Siberia, North America and Australia.

Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, Goa

Migratory Birds Found Here: Little bittern, Black bittern, Red knot

Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary in Goa which one of the most popular spots to watch migratory birds in      winter.

The sanctuary was named after the famous ornithologist and consists of mangrove forest trees along the western tip of the island near the Mandovi River.

The damp ecosystem is a breeding ground for many types of local and migratory birds.