Nalabana Bird Sanctuary in Chilika Lake, Odisha (2024)

Nalabana Bird Sanctuary

Nalabana Bird Sanctuary is located beside India’s largest brackish water lagoon, Chilika Lake. 

In this post, I will show you complete information about Nalabana Bird Sanctuary.

Here, you will know about,

  • About the Nalabana Bird Sanctuary
  • Wildlife at Sanctuary
  • Great Knot 
  • And a lot of information

Let’s get started.

About the Nalabana Bird Sanctuary

Nalabana Bird Sanctuary or Nalabana Island is part of India’s largest brackish water lagoon, Chilika Lake which is connected to the Eastside of the Bay of Bengal. In 1972, Under the Wildlife Protection Act, it was declared a Bird Sanctuary. Nalabana Bird Sanctuary is covered with water reed spreading over an area of 1555 hectares of dense forest.

In Odiya Language, Nalbana means weed-covered island. 

The lake also receives plenty of water from the rivers Bhargavi and Daya. The mixture of Seawater and pure water supports the lake with a large ecosystem of birds and animals. During the rainy season, the island and the entire sanctuary are submerged, with only a few watchtowers and Treetops above the water level. Every winter, there are many migratory birds found here.

Climatic Conditions at Bird Sanctuary

Nalabana Bird Sanctuary is located in an area with a tropical climate with abundant rainfall. The winter months between November and February are pleasant weather with a minimum temperature of about 6 degrees Celsius. But, there is a huge rainfall between July and October. On the other hand, the temperature of the bird sanctuary is 20-25 degrees Celsius in Summer.

Wildlife at Nalabana Bird Sanctuary

Nalabana Bird Sanctuary is home to many native and Migratory Birds and aquatic animals that thrive due to the endless flow of water in Chilika Lake. To Sustain marine life, the Chilika Lake Authority also weeded the water almost regularly. The lake has more than one hundred and fifty species of fish and shrimp, including hundreds of birds. Here, you can see many exotic birds such are the pink stork, the spotted sandpiper, the great raptor, the black-tailed godwits, the Goliath Heron, and the blackheads. 

These are some important attractions of the Nalabana Wildlife Sanctuary;

Gray Heron, Low Flamingo, Flamingo, Egrets, Purple Heron, Storks, Spoonbill, Pintail, White Ibis, Shoveler, Brahmani Duck, Tills, River Turns, Gadwall, Pochards, falcon, Goliath Heron, Asiatic Dowitchers, Long-legged Waders, White-bellied Marine EaglePariah Kite, Brahminy Kites, Ducks, Marsh Harriers, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, and Kestrel.

Great Knot (Calidris tenuirostris)

  • The great Knot is an international migratory bird that travels vast distances between breeding grounds in the Northern Hemisphere and feeding areas around the Southern Hemisphere summer.
  • Great Knot is distributed in far northeastern Russia, India, coastal Australia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the eastern Arabian Peninsula.
  • The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed this bird, the Great Knot, as an endangered bird in the world.

Facts about the Nalabana Bird Sanctuary

  • Nalabana Bird Sanctuary is located on Nalabana Island in the Chilika Lagoon area of ​​Odisha. Chilika Lake is the largest lagoon in Asia and the second-largest in the world after the New Caledonian Barrier Reef in New Caledonia.
  • Due to waterlogging, the island disappears during the monsoon, only to re-emerge after the monsoon.
  • Mangalajodi (on the shores of Lake Chilika) and Nalabana are the two main places in Chilika where birds congregate.
  • Migratory birds usually start arriving in Chile in November as compared to extreme freezing conditions in their natural habitat in Siberia, China, Japan, and other countries in the Northern Hemisphere because it is a relatively hospitable alternative habitat.
  • Some of the important migratory birds seen here are the bar-headed geese, the larger flamingo, the heron, the black-tailed godwit, and the rare Great Knot. Five years later, The Great Knot appeared.
  • Chilka Lake is the largest lagoon in Asia and the second-largest in the world after the New Caledonian Barrier Reef in New Caledonia.

Best Time to Visit Nalabana Bird Sanctuary

The best time to visit Nalabana Bird Sanctuary would be between October to March. During this time, 

thousands of migratory birds fly to the scene. The area became a wonderful confluence of bright colors and bird activity. In Summer and Winter, the island stays above water level, which makes it easily accessible. On the other hand, In the rainy season, there is heavy rainfall here, at that time, Nalaban Bird Sanctuary is submerged.

Nalabana Bird Sanctuary Timings, Ticket Price, and Chilika Ferry Rate

Nalabana Bird Sanctuary Timings:

DayTiming
Monday6:00 am – 6.00 pm
Tuesday6:00 am – 6.00 pm
Wednesday6:00 am – 6.00 pm
Thursday6:00 am – 6.00 pm
Friday6:00 am – 6.00 pm
Saturday6:00 am – 6.00 pm
Sunday6:00 am – 6.00 pm

Nalabana Bird Sanctuary Entry fees or Ticket Price:

The Entry fee or Ticket Price is 0. It is free

Nalabana Bird Sanctuary Chilika ferry Rate:

Though, Price may vary in different factors. But, the Ideal Price of the Nalabana Bird Sanctuary Chilika ferry is Rs. 300 for a full day.

Nalabana Sanctuary Distance From Nearby And Popular Cities

  • Nayagarh – 120 km
  • Bhubaneshwar – 127 km
  • Kolkata – 568 km
  • Nagpur – 870 km
  • Chennai – 1144 km
  • Pune – 1538 km
  • Mumbai – 1685 km
  • Delhi – 1705 km
  • Jammu – 2297 km

How to Reach Nalabana Bird Sanctuary

There are 3 major ways to reach Nalabana Bird Sanctuary;

1. By Flight

Bhubaneswar Airport is the nearest airport to Nalabana Bird Sanctuary. After reaching the Airport, you need to rent a local car to reach the sanctuary which takes around 2 hours.

2. By Train

Balugaon Railway Station is the nearest Railway Station to Nalaban Bird Sanctuary which is located 12 km from Nalabana Bird Sanctuary. In addition, Other nearby railway stations include Kalupara Ghat and Khallikot railway stations, both less than 25 km from the sanctuary. You need to take a Taxi or Local car to reach the spot.

3. By Road

NH 30 and NH 31 connect the road to the shores of Chilika Lake. You can take the Bus from Chilika Lake ends at Satpara.

Location in Google Map:

Accommodation Facilities

There are several guesthouses and lakes in the vicinity of Chilika Lake. These guest houses provide food on demand and also provide facilities like a swimming pool and tour guide. Rooms of Guest House and Hotels are exceptionally good and come in different price ranges as per requirements.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Nalabana Bird Sanctuary is very famous beside Chilika Lake. So, I hope you got all the necessary information about Nalabana Bird Sanctuary from this article.

Now, I’d like to know you:

Have you already visited Nalabana Bird Sanctuary?

Are you booked a ferry to Chilika Lake?

Let me know in the comment Right now.

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