According to the Bombay Natural History Society(BNHS), there are around 72  bird sanctuaries with 1210 species spread across the states in India. The first bird sanctuary in India is Vedanthangal which was established in the year 1936 and is located in Maduranthagam, Tamilnadu. Bird Sanctuaries are the natural protected areas for the conservation and protection of Indigenous and other bird species. This article the list of bird sanctuaries in India state wise will cover the details of the Bird Sanctuaries in India, Importance, State-wise list, top 10 fascinating bird sanctuaries, and famous bird sanctuaries in the world. With the attachment in PDF format, it can be downloaded for offline purposes. For any queries check the FAQ section.

Wildlife Sanctuaries in India

List of Bird Sanctuaries in India PDF Download 

Candidates can check the List of Bird Sanctuaries in India state-wise pdf and can download it for offline purposes.

List of Bird Sanctuaries in India 2025 PDF Download Link

Bird Sanctuaries in India 

• India is famous not only for its panoramic scenic beauty but also for its rich and exotic biodiversity, especially bird sanctuaries.

• India is the land of the most amazing and splendid bird sanctuary in the world.

• All bird sanctuaries are open to the public throughout the year from morning to evening.

• The best time to visit and explore the bird sanctuaries in the winter season through the breeding season for most varieties of birds varies between June and September.

• It is in this season that one can spot colorful, vibrant, and rare birds in most of the sanctuaries.

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Importance of Bird Sanctuaries in India:

• In India, Bird Sanctuaries support healthy bird populations by providing foraging and nesting grounds, whether along their migratory routes or in their home ranges.

• By protecting these important habitats and the food webs they support, bird populations and ecosystems alike can thrive.

• Birds have ecological value as important elements of natural systems. Birds provide insect and rodent control, plant pollination, and seed dispersal which result in tangible benefits to people. Insect outbreaks can annually destroy hundreds of millions of dollars of agricultural and forest products.

• Birds are especially important to ocean ecosystems whether they are seabirds or not.

• Birds that feed in estuaries, rivers, wetlands, and coastal waters keep populations of fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and invertebrates in balance by feeding on and removing sick or otherwise vulnerable animals from the food web, and songbirds that migrate through or along coastal areas promote plant growth.

• Birds are sentinel species, their health is an indicator of ecosystem health and can potentially alert us to threats in the environment or human health.

• This is because birds are sensitive to changes in the environment.

• They rely on healthy habitats and food webs for nesting, resting, foraging, and practicing social behaviors, and changes in these behaviors can hint at environmental shifts that scientists can further investigate.

• Factors that deter birds are poor water quality, disease outbreaks, reduced availability of food, or human development to name a few.

Total Bird Sanctuaries in India: State-wise

In this table format, we added the list of all bird sanctuaries in India in state-wise order 

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List of Bird Sanctuaries in Karnataka

Here we have listed the bird sanctuaries in Karnataka for your easy access.

• Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary

• Magadi Bird Sanctuary

• Kaggaladu Bird Sanctuary

• Bonal Bird Sanctuary

• Attiveri Bird Sanctuary

• Mandagadde Bird Sanctuary

• Gudavi Bird Sanctuary

• Kokkrebellur Pelicanry Bird Sanctuary

List of Bird Sanctuaries in India - Top 10 Fascinating Bird Sanctuaries

Here is the list of the top 10 bird sanctuaries in India. This also includes the answer to the question “Which is the largest bird sanctuary in India?”. Read further to find out the answer to your question.

Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Rajasthan

Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, now known as Keoladeo National Park is considered the largest in Asia. The area of the sanctuary is around 1.30 km. The core area is about 0.14 km2 and the rest is the buffer area. Here, more than 360 species of birds which include cranes, pelicans, geese, ducks, eagles, hawks, shanks, buntings, larks, and pipits are some of them.

Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary, Haryana

This is another fine bird sanctuary in India for bird lovers and also for all nature lovers. This sanctuary is home to 250 species of birds. A huge number of migratory birds come from all over the world to this sanctuary every winter. A few of the birds found here are black-necked stork, white-throated kingfisher, great egret, and red collared dove.

Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, Goa

The famous ornithologist, Salim Ali, and this bird sanctuary were named after him. The bird sanctuary is situated among the mangroves. Here, one can find Malabar trogons, drongos, cormorants, sandpipers, purple herons, woodpeckers, white egrets, curlews, and kites among many others.

Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, Kerala

This lush green sanctuary is home to a lot of seasonal birds. And during winter thousands of migratory birds come over to this sanctuary from Siberia and the Himalayas. Here are some of the birds you can see all year round! Paradise flycatchers, golden back woodpeckers, and brahminy kites.

Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu

It was a hunting ground for lords during the 18th century which is why it is known as ‘hamlet of the hunters’. In 1938, the hunting ground was turned into this beautiful bird sanctuary. Grey pelican, snakebird, spot bill duck, and spoonbill duck are some of the birds that can be found here. Also, over 40000 migratory birds visit during winter. 

Kaundinya Bird Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh

It is home to vivid and colorful species of birds and animals. Along with a plethora of wildlife, one will fall for the sheer beauty of the sanctuary and the lovely birds nesting in their natural habitat and chirping happily. One can find grey pelicans, rosy pelicans, and budgerigars.

Chilka Lake Bird Sanctuary, Orissa

Chilka Lake is the largest saltwater lagoon in Asia. Well, it is also home to a lot of rare and exotic water birds. The birds that are spotted here are white-bellied sea eagles, purple moorhen, jacana, and greylag geese. The one bird that cannot miss out on is the popular flamingo. Because Chilka Lake Bird Sanctuary is the largest breeding home for these pink flamingos in the entire world.

Kutch Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary, Gujarat

You would find more than 250 species of bird here. Out of which the largest in number are the Indian Bustard. These neutral-colored birds with lock necks look stunning when they are in flocks.

Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, Gujarat

Nal Sarovar is India’s largest bird sanctuary. There is a huge lake inside the sanctuary where you can find a variety of birds and animals lying lazily or drinking water. This is the biggest bird sanctuary in India, there must be many species of birds. There are! 300 species and the number increases during the migratory season. The birds that are found are geese, spoonbills, ducks, pelicans, eagles, and flamingos at any time of the year.

Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary, Kerala

This tropical forest gives the perfect home to the 300 species of birds. You can easily spot the Sri Lankan frogmouth, racket-tailed drongo, bronzed drongo, and rufous babbler here.

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List of Famous Bird Sanctuaries in the World

Along with the list of Bird Sanctuaries in India, we have brought you a list of famous bird sanctuaries in the world for your accordance. The famous bird sanctuary in the world has been listed below.

FAQs

Here we have given the common faqs regarding the List of Bird Sanctuaries in India for your reference.

Q. Which is the 1st bird sanctuary in India?

A. Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary in Kerala is the 1st bird sanctuary in India.

Q. Which is the largest bird sanctuary in Asia?

A. Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, now called Keoladeo National Park is considered the largest in Asia.

Q. How to download the List of Bird Sanctuaries in India pdf?

A. Here we have added the List of Bird Sanctuaries in India pdf link for your convenience. So, go to the link and download the List of Bird Sanctuaries in India pdf.

Q. What are the bird sanctuaries in Karnataka?

A. Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, Magadi Bird Sanctuary, Kaggaladu Bird Sanctuary, Bonal Bird Sanctuary, Attiveri Bird Sanctuary, Mandagadde Bird Sanctuary, Gudavi Bird Sanctuary & Kokkrebellur Pelicanry Bird Sanctuary are the bird sanctuaries in Karnataka.

Q. Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary is located in which state?

A. Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary is located in Andhra Pradesh.