- Okhla Sanctuary
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The Okhla barrage bird sanctuary in Okhla, near Delhi is a haven for waterbirds. In 1990, an area of 3.5 square kilometres (1.4 sq mi) on the river Yamuna was notified as a bird sanctuary by the Uttar Pradesh government under the Wildlife Protection Act of India. The site is located at the point where the river leaves of Uttar Pradesh. The most prominent feature of the sanctuary is the large lake created by damming the river, which lies sandwiched between Okhla village towards the west and Gautam Budh Nagar towards the east.
Contents
History
The areas around Okhla barrage, encompassing the river Yamuna and the marshes associated with it, have been a favorite haunt for birdwatchers, ever since the construction of Agra Canal, which starts from here in 1874. Major-General H. P. W. Hutson recorded the birds of Okhla during the course of his ornithological surveys in the Delhi region during June 1943 to May 1945. Subsequently, Mrs Usha Ganguli also recorded the avifauna from this site in her book, A guide to the birds of the Delhi area. Following the construction of a barrage and the resulting lake in 1986, birdwatching activity has increased at this site.
Attractions
A total of 302 species have confirmed records from Okhla bird sanctuary and the areas in its immediate vicinity. An additional 27 species have been listed by Harris (2001) as probable, but unconfirmed, occurrence.
The total Okhla list includes
- Two Critically Endangered (CR) species (White-rumped Vulture and Indian Vulture)
- Nine Vulnerable (VU) species (Baikal Teal, Baer’s Pochard, Sarus Crane, Sociable Lapwing, Indian Skimmer, Pallas’s Fish Eagle, Lesser Adjutant, Bristled Grassbird and Finn’s Weaver)
- Seven Near Threatened (NT) species (Ferruginous Pochard, Black-bellied Tern, Grey-headed Fish Eagle, erratically east to West Bengal and south to Kerala and Sri Lanka.
See also
- Najafgarh drain bird sanctuary, Delhi
- National Zoological Park Delhi
- Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, Delhi
- Sultanpur National Park, bordering Delhi in adjoining Gurgaon District, Haryana
External links
- http://wikimapia.org/7076289/Okhla-Bird-Sanctuary
- http://www.sanctuaryasia.com/takeaction/detailcampaign.php?cid=123
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Meerut division topics General Doab • Noida • National Capital Region • Chaudhary Charan Singh University • Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology • Shobhit University • Okhla SanctuaryMythology, history Districts Rivers, dams, lakes YamunaLanguages, people Transport Industries Lok Sabha constituencies See also Cities and towns in Bagpat district • Cities and towns in Bulandshahr district • Cities and towns in Gautam Buddha Nagar district • Cities and towns in Ghaziabad district • Cities and towns in Meerut district • Cities and towns in Panchsheel Nagar district • Villages in Bagpat district • Villages in Bulandshahr district • Villages in Gautam Buddha Nagar district • Villages in Ghaziabad district • People from Bagpat district • People from Bulandshahr • People from Gautam Buddha Nagar • People from Ghaziabad • People from MeerutOther Divisions Agra • Aligarh • Allahabad • Azamgarh • Bareilly • Basti • Chitrakoot • Devipatan • Faizabad • Gorakhpur • Jhansi • Kanpur • Lucknow • Mirzapur • Moradabad • Saharanpur • VaranasiCategories:- Wildlife sanctuaries in Uttar Pradesh
- Bird sanctuaries of Uttar Pradesh
- Okhla
- Tourism in Uttar Pradesh
- Visitor attractions in Delhi
- Bird sanctuaries of India
- Wetlands of India
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