A brief guide to bird-watching spots and species in India
Birds of all shades and sizes visit India, both during winter migration and year-round. This is a brief guide for what birds you are likely to spot in your city all year round and during winters.
Published: February 23, 2024
India's cities offer a lot for birdwatchers during winter and around the year. One can spot a variety of species, from the well-known Myna, Koel and green parakeets to relatively unfamiliar birds like the Purple Sunbird, Indian White-eye and the Blue Whistling Thrush.
Usually, a large number of species are reported from wetlands, parks or lakes. Sometimes, the vast campus grounds of national Institutes are bountiful birdwatching haunts. Sanctuaries, forests, coastal and riverside areas are other spots.
Mapping Your Neighbourhood Avifauna (MYNA) is a tool produced by the State of India's Birds partnership. It uses data from citizen birding platform eBird to list bird-watching points in each city. The map below shows where birders have reported the most species from for each city, as accessed from the MYNA database. For new birders, these bird watching places are good starting points since they are already established as popular bird-watching areas.
Bird-watching Hotspots
Explore the best bird watching location near you by selecting a city and clicking on marked spots.
Winter's visitors
When it comes to migratory birds, some species are seen across most cities. This includes the bright yellow Indian Golden Oriole and the brown and white Common Sandpiper. Some others, like the Yellow-Browed Warbler, are seen only in a handful of States. This bird’s range falls over parts of West Bengal and the northeastern States, according to the State of India's Birds website.
Most long-distance migratory birds listed here spend the months between December to February in India before returning to their breeding grounds in the north.
The graphic below shows each city's top 10 migratory birds and common birds that were among the top 10 most spotted birds in at least three of the city's top 10 birdwatching hotspots as per MYNA's data.
