Okhla Bird Sanctuary

By Abhijit Menon-Sen <ams@toroid.org>

Directions

One way to get to the Sanctuary is to go straight down NH2 (Mathura road) from Ashram chowk, and turn left under the flyover just after passing Apollo Hospital to the left. Keep going straight on, turn right at the end of the road, then turn left onto the Okhla Barrage. The Sanctuary gates are to your left shortly afterwards.

The other route is to go through NOIDA, but due to ongoing construction, many of the exits off the main road may now be blocked. Thus the former route via the Barrage is to be preferred.

See this map for an overview of the area.

Checklist

Here's a brief checklist of the birds I've conclusively identified at the OBS:

  1. Black Francolin Francolinus francolinus
  2. Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus
  3. Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus
  4. Lesser Whistling-duck Dendrocygna javanica
  5. Greylag Goose Anser anser
  6. Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus
  7. Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea
  8. Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna
  9. Comb Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos
  10. Cotton Pygmy-goose Nettapus coromandelianus
  11. Gadwall Anas strepera
  12. Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope
  13. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
  14. Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha
  15. Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
  16. Northern Pintail Anas acuta
  17. Garganey Anas querquedula
  18. Common Teal Anas crecca
  19. Common Pochard Aythya ferina
  20. Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
  21. Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla
  22. Black-rumped Flameback Dinopium benghalense
  23. Brown-headed Barbet Megalaima zeylanica
  24. Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala
  25. Indian Grey Hornbill Ocyceros birostris
  26. Common Hoopoe Upupa epops
  27. Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
  28. White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis
  29. Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis
  30. Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis
  31. Pied Cuckoo Clamator jacobinus
  32. Common Hawk Cuckoo Hierococcyx varius
  33. Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopacea
  34. Sirkeer Malkoha Phaenicophaeus leschenaultii
  35. Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis
  36. Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula eupatria
  37. Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri
  38. House Swift Apus affinis
  39. Barn Owl Tyto alba
  40. Spotted Owlet Athene brama
  41. Rock Pigeon Columba livia
  42. Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis
  43. Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis
  44. Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis
  45. Red Collared Dove Streptopelia tranquebarica
  46. Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
  47. Yellow-footed Green Pigeon Treron phoenicoptera
  48. Brown Crake Amaurornis akool
  49. White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus
  50. Watercock Gallicrex cinerea
  51. Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio
  52. Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
  53. Common Coot Fulica atra
  54. Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago
  55. Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus
  56. Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
  57. Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus
  58. Common Redshank Tringa totanus
  59. Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
  60. Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus
  61. Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
  62. Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
  63. Little Stint Calidris minuta
  64. Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii
  65. Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
  66. Ruff Philomachus pugnax
  67. Bronze-winged Jacana Metopidius indicus
  68. Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
  69. Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta
  70. Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
  71. Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus
  72. Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus
  73. Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus
  74. Yellow-wattled Lapwing Vanellus malarbaricus
  75. River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelii
  76. Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus
  77. White-tailed Lapwing Vanellus leucurus
  78. Yellow-legged Gull Larus cachinnans
  79. Heuglin's Gull Larus heuglini
  80. Pallas's Gull Larus ichthyaetus
  81. Brown-headed Gull Larus brunnicephalus
  82. Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus
  83. River Tern Sterna aurantia
  84. Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus
  85. Osprey Pandion haliaetus
  86. Oriental Honey-buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus
  87. Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus
  88. Black Kite Milvus migrans
  89. Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus
  90. Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela
  91. Eurasian Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus
  92. Shikra Accipiter badius
  93. Common Buzzard Buteo buteo
  94. Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus
  95. Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga
  96. Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis
  97. Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca
  98. Bonelli's Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus
  99. Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
  100. Red-necked Falcon Falco chicquera
  101. Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo
  102. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
  103. Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
  104. Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus
  105. Darter Anhinga melanogaster
  106. Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger
  107. Indian Cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscicollis
  108. Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
  109. Little Egret Egretta garzetta
  110. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
  111. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
  112. Great Egret Casmerodius albus
  113. Intermediate Egret Mesophoyx intermedia
  114. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
  115. Indian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii
  116. Little Heron Butorides striatus
  117. Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis
  118. Cinnamon Bittern Ixobrychus cinnamomeus
  119. Black Bittern Dupetor flavicollis
  120. Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber
  121. Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
  122. Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus
  123. Black Ibis Pseudibis papillosa
  124. Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
  125. Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus
  126. Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala
  127. Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans
  128. Woolly-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus
  129. Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach
  130. Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda
  131. House Crow Corvus splendens
  132. Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos
  133. Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus
  134. Small Minivet Pericrocotus cinnamomeus
  135. Long-tailed Minivet Pericrocotus ethologus
  136. Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus
  137. Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus
  138. Asian Paradise-flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi
  139. Common Woodshrike Tephrodornis pondicerianus
  140. Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva
  141. Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassina
  142. Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis
  143. Bluethroat Luscinia svecica
  144. Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis
  145. Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicata
  146. Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros
  147. Siberian Stonechat Saxicola torquata
  148. White-tailed Stonechat Saxicola leucurus
  149. Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata
  150. Brown Rock-chat Cercomela fusca
  151. Brahminy Starling Sturnus pagodarum
  152. Rosy Starling Sturnus roseus
  153. Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris
  154. Asian Pied Starling Sturnus contra
  155. Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
  156. Bank Myna Acridotheres ginginianus
  157. White-crowned Penduline Tit Remiz coronatus
  158. Plain Martin Riparia paludicola
  159. Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
  160. Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii
  161. Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica
  162. Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus
  163. Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer
  164. Graceful Prinia Prinia gracilis
  165. Yellow-bellied Prinia Prinia flaviventris
  166. Ashy Prinia Prinia socialis
  167. Plain Prinia Prinia inornata
  168. Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus
  169. Moustached Warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon
  170. Paddyfield Warbler Acrocephalus agricola
  171. Blyth's Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum
  172. Clamorous Reed Warbler Acrocephalus stentoreus
  173. Booted Warbler Hippolais caligata
  174. Sykes's Warbler Hippolais rama
  175. Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius
  176. Siberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita tristis
  177. Sulphur-bellied Warbler Phylloscopus griseolus
  178. Hume's Warbler Phylloscopus humei
  179. Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides
  180. Striated Grassbird Megalurus palustris
  181. Yellow-eyed Babbler Chrysomma sinense
  182. Common Babbler Turdoides caudatus
  183. Striated Babbler Turdoides earlei
  184. Large Grey Babbler Turdoides malcolmi
  185. Jungle Babbler Turdoides striatus
  186. Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca
  187. Eastern Orphean Warbler Sylvia crassirostris
  188. Indian Bushlark Mirafra erythroptera
  189. Bengal Bushlark Mirafra assamica
  190. Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla
  191. Sand Lark Calandrella raytal
  192. Crested Lark Galerida cristata
  193. Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula
  194. Purple Sunbird Nectarinia asiatica
  195. House Sparrow Passer domesticus
  196. Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis
  197. White Wagtail Motacilla alba
  198. Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola
  199. Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava
  200. Paddyfield Pipit Anthus rufulus
  201. Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris
  202. Long-billed Pipit Anthus similis
  203. Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis
  204. Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni
  205. Rosy Pipit Anthus roseatus
  206. Black-breasted Weaver Ploceus benghalensis
  207. Streaked Weaver Ploceus manyar
  208. Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinus
  209. Red Avadavat Amandava amandava
  210. Indian Silverbill Lonchura malabarica
  211. Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata
  212. Black-headed Munia Lonchura malacca
  213. Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus
  214. White-capped Bunting Emberiza stewarti

This checklist was last updated on 2010-02-15.

The Delhibirds web site has a Yamuna checklist compiled by Clive Harris, but it's not actively maintained.

2010-02-15