Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary

Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary is a bird sanctuary also known as safe haven for birds located in Jamnagar district of Gujarat, India. This small (6 sq km) sanctuary, about 12km northeast of Jamnagar, encompasses both salt- and freshwater marshlands. It hosts over 200 bird species, including rarities such as the Dalmatian pelican and black-necked stork.

The sanctuary, created over the 1920’s and ’30s, is formed from two man-made dykes that separate fresh water from sea water. This creates the opportunity to simultaneously observe species that belong to each ecosystem, and some that share both. Along with the marine and fresh water habitats, there are also marshy lands, mangroves, Prosopis areas, mudflats, salt pans, creeks, forest scrub, sandy beaches, and even farmlands bordering the area.

As the Khijadia Bird Sanctuary at Gujarat lies on the western-most part of the country that falls on the traditional route of the migratory birds, a large number of such birds nest here in the winters. Khijadiya has a very exceptional mix of flora and fauna. The variety of the ecology found here is one of a kind.