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India Haryana

White-browed Bushchat Saxicola macrorhyncha ŠNikhil Devasar

Haryana has 526 species of birds - latest checklist by Suresh C. Sharma, Bill Harvey and Tim Inskipp, available at http://www.delhibird.org Water birds can be seen at Sultanpur Jheel (with its flats towards railway track harbouring chats and courses); including nearby Basai Wetland and Bhindawas Lake Bird Sanctuary - all within one day birding trip from Delhi.

There is a largish desert patch of village Khedarh, (near Barwala, Hissar district) which is a sure place in winter for White-browed Bushchat - possibly 2 individuals. Desert, Variable and Isabelline Chats being additional menu items; with some luck, one can sight Sandgrouse species too. Ottu Waterhead in Sirsa district had yielded a Rufuous-vented Prinia on 3rd Oct 2002. After a good monsoon, Ottu harbour has over 15,000 migratory water birds.

Morni Hills in Panchkula district near Chandigarh are located at 1200-1300 meters altitude and one day birding can result in many Himalayan species including Bearded Vultures, 2 species of Accentors, Thrushes, Woodpeckers, Barbets. On 1st June 2003, the state government has launched its first ever Bird Safari near Berwala Wildlife Checkpost in the Morni Hills.

Another rich birding hot spot for the Himalayan birds in Haryana is Kalka where, with some luck, one can spot a Spotted Forktail.

Parts of Haryana along the canals still harbour Sarus Cranes and Black-necked Storks. 4 hours birding along the canals passing through the cultivation in winter usually produces 120+ species including several globally threatened species. I have spotted and alerted the world to the spreading Sind Sparrows along the canals of the state - the bird has become a regular in Sonipat district.

Checklists of birds (by Suresh C Sharma) of various parts of Haryana are available on http://www.delhibird.org including those of Morni Hills in Panchkula district, Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary in Yamunanagar district, DDN8 in Sonipat district, Western Yamuna Canal (spreading in several districts); Bhor Saiyadan in Kurukshetra district, Naharh Wildlife Sanctuary in Rewari district, Bhindawas Lake Bird Sanctuary in Jhajjar district and so on.

contributor

Suresh C. Sharma
hqdos@vsnl.com

numbers

Number of bird species:526

useful reading

* Field Guides & Bird Song

For a comprehensive list of recommended titles covering India as a whole - please see the main India page of Fatbirder

Birds of Northern India

by Richard Grimmett and Tim Inskipp Helm Field Guides 2003 RRP ?19.99p
See Fatbirder Review
ISBN: 0713651679
Buy this book from NHBS.com

useful information

State Bird

Black Francolin

reserves

Sultanpur National Park

http://www.indianvisit.com/ivnew/destinationguides/wildlifeofindia/sultanpurnationalpark.htm
If one is an avid wildlife enthusiast and happens to be in Delhi, the Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary could be the ideal destination. The sanctuary, located at a distance of 45 km on the National Highway No 8, is a birdwatcher`s paradise with a sizable population of resident and migratory birds. Once a dry belt with a shallow water body that attracted birds during the monsoon, Sultanpur was transformed by the ornithologist Peter Jackson who got the area landscaped and suitable vegetation planted. One can spend endless hours watching the antics of the birds-from spoonbills wading in the water to ducks foraging at the water`s edge...

Sultanpur National Park and Bird Sanctuary

http://www.haryana-online.com/sultanpur_sanctuary.htm
Sultanpur National Park and Bird Sanctuary is located in Gurgaon district of Haryana, about 50km from Delhi and 15km from Gurgaon on the Gurgaon - Farukh Nagar Road. This park is best visited in winters when a large number of migratory birds come here. In the old map and district gazetteer of Gurgaon district, this area is shown as marshy land having a salt pan where water accumulates during rains and dries out during summer...

trip reports

Travelling Birder
http://www.travellingbirder.com
The Travellingbirder.com birding trip report search engine guides you to 7,000+ birding trip reports on the Internet. You can search for trip reports from a specific country and time of year. Not all these reports are in English. So, if you cant find the trip report you want on this Fatbirder page give them a try!

2001 [January] - Suresh C Sharma - Bhindawas Lake

http://www.princeton.edu/~vivekt/trips/Bhindawas01.html
Location : From Delhi go to Bahadurgarh, crossing Bahadurgarh Bus Stand turn to your left and after a drive of 30 kms you reach Jhajjar district...

local guides

Birding Pal

http://www.birdingpal.org/India.htm
Local birders willing to show visiting birders around their area...

mailing lists

DelhiBird

http://www.delhibird.net
List contact:nik@sapta.com
Mailing List Discussion Group a group of nature lovers who meet at different locales for birding in Delhi. Go to Website to subscribe.

Checklist

http://www.birdingwithsuresh.com/checklist.htm
Checklist for the state...

delhibird - The Northern India Bird Network

http://www.delhibird.net/
Site guide, recent sightings, photo gallery, checklists and more...

Haryana Birds

http://www.haryana-online.com/Fauna/haryana_birds.htm
Haryana has about 350 species of birds. The Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary (Gurgaon); Bhindawas Bird Sanctuary (Jhajjar); Bir Bara Ban sanctuary (Jind); Kalesar forest (Yamunanagar); Morni hills (Panchkula); the banks of the river Yamuna and the Western Yamuna Canal and its channels are the main areas where most of these birds can be found...