35 Amazing Birds You Can Spot at Najafgarh Jheel Delhi Earth Walks
Understanding the avian biodiversity around the Najafgarh Jheel - A report of the Delhi Earth Walk birdwatching trail held at Nehar Sahibi Farm
Date: 19 April, 2026
Location: Nehar Sahibi Farm
Walk Leaders: Yatin Verma & Akshit Dua
Walk Coordinator: Salil Dutta
Walk Theme: Fluttering Trails of Najafgarh Jheel
No. of participants: 43
The area of Najafgarh seems like a distance away from Delhi, but the rich avian diversity that it contains always makes it a centre of attraction for birdwatchers and nature lovers alike. Being aware of the same fact, Asian Adventures, in collaboration with the Global Wildlife Fair and Delhi Tourism, had organised a walk here. The participants met at the designated location of the Nehar Sahibi Farm, and after having a fruitful sharing of opinions on species and the role of the masses in conservation with the walk leaders, the participants relished the taste of the warm tea and pakoras that had been freshly prepared on the farm. One participant was amazed by the taste of the freshly prepared green chutney and asked the staff for the recipe. The staff shared the same and told the participants that all the ingredients for the same chutney had been grown on the farm.
Intrigued by this idea, the participants requested a walk around the farm before proceeding on the actual birdwatching trail. They were amazed to see elements such as the bird forest, butterfly garden and the amphibian pond, along with the gardens where the fruits and vegetables were grown. Nehar Sahibi Farm has been successful in boosting the flora and fauna of the region, as the staff emphasised that all these initiatives were taken for this purpose. The group encountered the highlight of the walk, which was the flock of Rose-coloured Starlings. The group was amazed and immediately took out their cameras and binoculars to have a look at this spectacular sight.
After a hearty breakfast and a healthy discussion, the group headed towards the Najafgarh Jheel. After stopping at a common point, the walk leaders began by throwing light on the history of the Sahibi River and the Najafgarh Jheel. The Sahibi River starts in Rajasthan and flows through the state to enter Haryana and finally Delhi to submerge into the Yamuna River, which acts as its final destination. The Sahibi River acts as the life-giving source to the Najafgarh Jheel bird sanctuary, where its source is channelled.
The Najafgarh Jheel, before the 1960s, used to be a big river, and one of its primary sources of water was the Sahibi River. Post 1960s, the Flood Control Department of Delhi worked towards the canalisation of the river, and it got its new identity as the Najafgarh Drain. It is a recognised water body entity under India’s Wetlands Rules in 2017, by the National Green Tribunal. It was in the middle of this conversation that a wire-tailed swallow was seen sitting on the branches, and it became one of the first sightings of the day. As the walk proceeded, marvellous sightings such as the Gray Heron, Purple Heron and the Woolly-necked Stork made the walk an absolute success for the birdwatching enthusiast. This specific walk was even important for Earth Walks because of the SDM of Ghaziabad, Mr Deepak Singhanwal, who had joined this birdwatching trail.
As the group started to walk back towards the initial meeting point, back-to-back sightings of firstly the Osprey eating a fish and a flock of whiskered terns had made the whole trail nothing less than a visual bliss. Overall, the event was a hit success with participants enquiring about how they can contribute to these walks and to the upcoming Global Wildlife Fair workshops by becoming volunteers. They were even interested in joining initiatives such as the Delhi Bird Atlas and adding their time and contributions to the creation of the avian records of the state. You can make your Sundays meaningful by adding something substantial to them, and learn more about the urban biodiversity which exists around you. To become a part, click here https://asianadventures.info/p/af0725/
Bird List
- Indian Spot-billed Duck
- Eurasian Collared-Dove
- Greater Coucal
- Eurasian Moorhen
- Gray-headed Swamphen
- Black-winged Stilt
- Red-wattled Lapwing
- Whiskered Tern
- Asian Openbill
- Asian Woolly-necked Stork
- Black-necked Stork
- Painted Stork
- Little Cormorant
- Indian Cormorant
- Glossy Ibis
- Osprey
- Black-headed Ibis
- Black-crowned Night Heron
- Little Egret
- Indian Pond-Heron
- Medium Egret
- Gray Heron
- Purple Heron
- Black Kite
- Asian Green Bee-eater
- White-throated Kingfisher
- Ashy Prinia
- Wire-tailed Swallow
- Red-vented Bulbul
- Indian Pied Starling
- Citrine Wagtail
- Knob-billed Duck
- Rosy Starling
- Gray Francolin
- Black Francolin