Visit Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary

Where is Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary

Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary is located in District Gurgaon in Haryana.  It is approx 45 kms from Dhaula Kuan, Delhi.  The Bird sanctuary was established in 1971 on the orders of the then PM Smt Indira Gandhi.

There are approx 250 species of Birds found at Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary.  Some of them are resident, while others come from far away places like Siberia, Europe and Afghanistan.

Resident Birds of Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary

Common resident birds are.  Common Hoopoe, Paddyfield Pipit, Purple Sunbird, Little Cormorant, Eurasian Thick-knee, Gray Francolin, Black Francolin, Indian Roller, White-throated Kingfisher, Spot billed Duck, Painted Stork, White Ibis, Black headed Ibis, Little Egret, Great Egret, Cattle Egret, India Crested Lark, Red vented Bulbul, Rose ringed Parakeet, Red wattled Lapwing, Shikra, Eurasian collared Dove, Red collared Dove, Laughing Dove, Spotted Owlet, Rock Pigeon, Magpie Robin, Greater Coucal, Weaver Bird, Bank Mynah, Common Mynah and Green Bee Eater.

Migratory Birds at the Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary

Every year more than 100 migratory bird species arrive at Sultanpur in search of feeding grounds and to pass the winter. In winter Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary provides a picturesque panorama of migratory birds such as Siberian Cranes, Greater Flamingo, Ruff, Black winged Stilt, Common Teal, Common Greenshank, Northern Pintail, Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail, Northern Shoveler, Rosy Pelican, Gadwall, Wood Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Eurasian Wigeon, Black tailed Godwit, Spotted Redshank, Starling, Bluethroat and Long billed Pipit.

Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary has birds in summer too,  About 11 species of migratory birds such as Asian Koel, Black crowned Night Heron, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Comb duck, Blue cheeked Bee Eater, Blue-tailed Bee-Eater and Cuckoos come here.

The climate at Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary

During winters the climate is cold plunging upto 2 to 3 degrees Celsius and during summer it can be very hot with temperatures soaring upto 45 degrees Celsius.  The monsoon brings the much needed respite from the scorching hot climate and lasts from June end till Aug end.

History of Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary

The Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary was the find of Peter Jackson, famous ornithologist, and Honorary Secretary of the Delhi Birdwatching Society, who in 1970 wrote to the then Prime Minister of India, Smt Indira Gandhi, about the need to declare the Sultanpur jheel near Delhi, a bird sanctuary.

Smt Indira Gandhi asked him to take her there.   Due to her busy schedule she could not visit the place.  However, she later instructed the Chief Minister of Haryana to protect the jheel (lake).  Thus in 1972, the Sultanpur Bird Reserve was established.  The area was declared a Bird sanctuary in 1972, and twenty years later in 1989, it was made a later a National Park.   It has an area of 1.43 square kilometres.   It is a protected area where over 250 species of birds have been sighted.

Earlier before the construction of bandhs and drainage areas around Sultanpur remained waterlogged and attracted a large numbers of migratory birds and hunters, many from the Diplomatic Corps at Delhi. Now however the bird sanctuary is artificially revived using pumped water from the Jamuna river.

Haryana government has carried out a number of development works at the Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary like construction of mounds, and widening of paths, four tube wells have also been dug. Efforts are being made to improve vegetation in the area by planting more trees, which are popular with the birds like Acacia Nilotica, Acacia Tortilis, Beris and Neem etc. There are four watch towers (machans) at different points to watch birds easily.