Birding sites in India

Anshi National Park, Karnataka

Bandhavgarh National Park is located in Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh state in India. Bandhavgarh has an area of 105 km². This is a small National Park, compact, yet full of game. The density of the tiger population at Bandhavgarh is the highest known in India. This is also white tiger country.

Bandipur National Park is located in the Chamarajanagar district of southern Karnataka in south India, and is contiguous with the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary in the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu, the Wynad Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala, and the Nagarhole National Park to the northwest. Bandipur is also a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

Bhindawas Bird Sanctuary, district Jhajjar, Haryana

Chambal National Sanctuary (Chambal River - Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh). This sanctuary has a checklist of over 260 species of birds.

Chilika Lagoon (Orissa) has been designated as a 'Ramsar Site' (wetland of international importance). The Nalaban Island within the lagoon is notified as a Bird Sanctuary by the government of India. Chilika supports the largest congregation of migratory birds in the country during winter. Over 200 species of birds have been reliably recorded from the lagoon.

Dachigam Wildlife Sanctuary, district Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir.

Desert National Park is situated in the Indian state of Rajasthan near the town of Jaisalmer. Located in the Thar desert this parks covers an area of 3162 sq. km. In addition to the endangered Great Indian Bustard, one can see eagles, harriers, falcons, buzzards, kestrel and vultures. Short-toed Eagles, Tawny Eagles, Spotted Eagles, Laggar Falcons and kestrels are the commonest of these. Sandgrouse are spotted near small ponds or lakes. The most suitable time to visit the area is between November and January

Eravikulam National Park, Kerala

Gir Forest National Park is best known as being the sole home of the Asiatic Lion. It is located in the Junagadh district of Gujarat, India on 1,412 sq km of land, 258 sq km of which forms the "core". The reserve is on the Kathiawar Peninsula about 65 kilometers south-east of Junagadh City.

Guindy National Park, Tamil Nadu

Harike Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary, Punjab

Jim Corbett National Park is located near Nainital in the state of Uttaranchal. The Corbett National Park and the adjoining Sonanadi Sanctuary form the Corbett Tiger Reserve. Wildlife found in this park include the tiger, elephant, chital, sambar, nilgai, gharial, King Cobra, muntjac, wild boar, hedgehog, common musk shrew, flying fox, Indian Pangolin, and nearly 600 species of Birds.

Jaldapara Wildlife Reserve is the home of about 50 one-horned rhinos, an animal threatened with extinction. Jaldapara with an area of 114 sq km, is located in West Bengal, about 124 km to the east of Siliguri. Remains closed from 15 June to 14 September.

Kanha National Park is located in Madhya Pradesh, India and has an area of 940 sq km. Nearest train station and airport are at Jabalpur, 175 km away. Kanha is home to about 200 species of birds. Commonly observed mammals include the Langur, Wild Boar, Chital, Sambar, Swamp Deer, tiger, leopard, Indian black bear and the Indian wolf, which live in the far east of the park, and the pangolin, which are nocturnal and live in the highlands. Remains closed from 1 July to 31 October.

Kaziranga National Park is situated on the south bank of the Brahmaputra river in Assam, India. Stretching over 430 km², the park is a vast stretch of elephant grass, marshland and dense tropical broadleaf forest. Kaziranga is home to Indian rhinoceros, elephants, sloth bears, tigers, hog badgers, capped langurs, hoolock gibbons, wild boars, jackals, porcupines, pythons, Indian bison, swamp deer, sambars and hog deer. The park has a large number of bird species which increases considerably in the winter. Remains closed: Mid-April to Mid-October.

Keoladeo National Park is located in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India. Keoladeo is a famous bird sanctuary with hundreds of rare and endangered birds species such as the Siberian Cranes. It is also a declared World Heritage Site. The sanctuary hosts large number of the rare Siberian Cranes. Other species include the ruddy-shell ducks, gulls, Northern Shovelers, northern pintails, Coots, Garganey, tufted ducks and Common Pochard.

Khijadia Bird Sanctuary, Jamnagar (Gujarat)

Kudremukh National Park, Karnataka

Little Rann of Kutch is a vast marshy region located in Kutch district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The name "Rann" comes from the Hindi word ran meaning "salt marsh". In the monsoon season, the flat desert of salty clay and mudflats, fills with standing waters, interspersed with sandy islets of thorny scrub, breeding grounds for some of the largest flocks of Greater and Lesser flamingoes. It is also a resting site for migratory Siberian birds. The Rann is famous for the Indian Wild Ass sanctuary, where the last of three species of Asiatic Wild Ass still exist along with wolves, foxes, jackals, Cinkara gazelles, nilgai and blackbucks.

Madhav National Park, district Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh

Manas National Park, Assam

Mukurty National Park, Kerala

Nagarhole National Park, Karnataka

Nanda Devi National Park, Uttaranchal

Pench National Park, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Periyar National Park, Kerala.

Rajaji National Park, Uttaranchal.

Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan

Borivali National Park, Maharashtra

Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan

Satpura National Park, Madhya Pradesh

Silent Valley National Park, Kerala

Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary & National Park, district Gurgaon, Haryana

Sunderbans National Park, West Bengal

Valley of Flowers National Park is the name of a Himalayan area in the upper reaches of Garhwal region of the Indian state of Uttaranchal. This 87.50 sq km park lies on the Zanskar mountain range with Gauri Parbat (6719 m) being the highest peak. Over 500 species of flowers carpet the ground including orchids, poppies, primulas, calendulas, daisies and anemones. This alpine forests is also home to tahr, snow leopard, musk deer, red fox, Common Langur, bharal, serow, Himalayan black bear and a large variety of birds and butterflies. The park is open in summers between June and October.

Velevadar National Park, Uttar Pradesh