What to Know Before You Go Okhla Bird Sanctuary

Distance: 35 kms from Meerut, 15 kms from Delhi

Timings: 7 am to 5 pm

Entry fee: Rs 30

Vehicle fee: Rs 100

Major birds: Northern shoveller, gadwall, pintail and ruddy shelduck

Situated in Gautam Budh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, Okhla Bird Sanctuary is easily reached from Delhi, and is a mere 3 kms from Noida.

Covering an area of 4 sq kms, the Sanctuary came into existence with the establishment of the Okhla Barrage over the Yamuna in 1984. Having become a popular spot for bird watching with experts and enthusiasts, the barrage and the surrounding marshland was protected and declared a Sanctuary in 1990.

Though not far from the heavily urbanized Noida, a hush descends over the environs as soon as one enters the Sanctuary, the thrum of the wild cancelling out the noise of the city. A motor able road inside the Sanctuary goes on for a little over a kilometer, before turning into a narrow walking trail. A large lake, created by damming the Yamuna, is the heart of the Sanctuary housing a great variety of birds. Watchtowers have been strategically placed in open fields that not only help spotting the avifauna but also offer great views of the Sanctuary.

Over 300 species of birds have been recorded here, with more than 50 per cent of these being migratory. The migratory species of birds here includes northern shoveller, gadwall, pintail, ruddy shelduck, garganey teal, common shelduck and comb duck. Needless to say, if you want to view the stunning diversity of avifauna in the Sanctuary, the best time to visit would be from the months of November to March, when the bulk of the exciting avian population roosts here.

However, Okhla Sanctuary is bustling with birds through the year, and the resident species of mynas, drongos, babblers, francolins, peafowl’s and bee-eaters would keep any nature lover busy and happy, at any given time of the year.

 The Sanctuary used to play host fairly regularly to the critically endangered species of white rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) and Indian vulture (Gyps indicus). Both these birds used to be regular visitors till 1992, have but have not been spotted here since. 

According to a news report in The Pioneer, the black-bellied tern was spotted at Okhla for the first time in August 2012, and the Indian River tern, last spotted here in 2004, also made a return, much too all birders' enthusiasm.

The barrage also supports a rich aquatic population and is abundant in various species of carp (katla, rohu, mrigal). The vegetation in the Sanctuary largely comprises acacia trees and varied shrubs. The lake also supports varied aquatic flora like hydrilla, water lettuce, water lilies and species of algae. Other animals in Okhla include spotted deer, nilgai, mongoose, monitor lizards and water snakes.

For more information on what to know before you go Okhla Bird Sanctuary contact Swan Tours one of the leading travel agents in India.