68 Bird Species in One Walk: Kanjhawala Wetlands Delhi Earth Walks
Exploring Urban Biodiversity at Kanjhawala Wetlands: A report of the Delhi Earth Walks Birdwatching trail.
Date: 3 May, 2026
Location: Kanjhawala Wetlands
Walk Theme: Wings of Kanjhawala | Mapping birds with Delhi Atlas
Walk Leader: Sagar
Walk Coordinator: Salil Dutta
No. of participants: 30
Kanjhawala Wetlands is one of those biodiversity gems in Delhi that have largely remained unexplored, yet it is a spot that beams with rich biodiversity. It was in this fitness of things that Asian Adventures, in collaboration with the Global Wildlife Fair and Delhi Tourism, had organised an Earth Walk here. The participants met at the designated location well in time, showcasing their enthusiasm towards discovering this lesser-known location. The walk started with the walk leader explaining the significance of the location. Towards the start of 2026, it got its identity as an eBird hotspot, and since then, it has attracted the attention of nature enthusiasts and birding experts alike. There were many questions among the participants, such as why the area has remained untouched and whether there is any chance of an extremely rare bird being spotted, since it has recently become an eBird hotspot. The walk leader duly answered all these questions as the walk proceeded.
Towards the very beginning of the walk, the first sighting of the walk, i.e., a black-winged stilt, was spotted. The photographers carrying their cameras tried to get the best shot of the species. What followed thereafter was a totally mesmerising sight for the participants. There was a plethora of birds that were flying across the sky, giving ample opportunities to the participants to capture the breathtaking views. The walk leader explained here about the motion that the birds were performing in the air, and how such species are naturally trained to take the position of the bird in front, in case anything happens to the front one, naturally becoming the representation of exceptional leadership skills.
The highlight of the walk became the spotting of the Sind Sparrow. The walk was explaining the behavioural patterns of the bird when a pair of graylag goose again garnered the attention of the participants. All this while apps such as eBird and Merlin were being actively used by the participants to keep a track of birds that were being spotted. These data act as crucial information for Delhi Bird Atlas records and help them create records of the avian diversity that exists within the city. It was when the Rosy Pipit was spotted that the actual utility of the eBird was realised; it was seen that it was the rare bird that was spotted this month in the Kanjhawala Wetlands.
Just after spotting a Redshank in breeding plumage, and assuming that the walk couldn't become any better, the herpetofauna of the region emerged as the add-on surprise, wherein more than 10 types of dragonflies were spotted. It was natural for frogs to exist where the dragonflies were, so the participants, along with the walk leader, started looking for frogs and around 5 species of frogs were observed. Overall, the walk was a hit success, where around 68 different species of birds were observed. It was a totally new experience for the participants, where they got to know about and explore a whole new place hidden in North Delhi.
They were interested in knowing when more such walks would be organised and how they could become a part of it. Conservation is a collective responsibility, and no amount of effort by the decision-making bodies can bring about a change unless these measures are duly supported by the common masses. The first step towards the inclusion of the people is making them aware of what exists around them and making them realise that they are the only ones who are entitled to save what we have and pass it on to the next generation. Earth Walks is exactly doing that. Add something meaningful to your Sundays, give your contributions in a manner that makes each moment memorable for you. For joining and adding something worthwhile to your weekends, click here https://asianadventures.info/p/af0725/
Bird List
- Graylag Goose
- Knob-billed Duck
- Indian Spot-billed Duck
- Green-winged Teal
- Gray Francolin
- Black francolin
- Rock Pigeon
- Laughing Dove
- Asian Koel
- Eurasian Moorhen
- Eurasian Coot
- Gray-headed Swamphen
- White-breasted Waterhen
- Black-winged Stilt
- Red-wattled Lapwing
- Pheasant-tailed Jacana
- Green Sandpiper
- Wood Sandpiper
- Spotted Redshank
- Temminck's Stint
- Little Grebe
- Painted Stork
- Oriental Darter
- Little Cormorant
- Great Cormorant
- Indian Cormorant
- Glossy Ibis
- Red-naped Ibis
- Black-headed ibis
- Eurasian Spoonbill
- Black-crowned Night Heron
- Little Egret
- Indian Pond-Heron
- Great Egret
- Gray Heron
- Purple Heron
- Shikra
- Black Kite
- Asian Green Bee-eater
- White-throated Kingfisher
- Pied Kingfisher
- Rose-ringed Parakeet
- Black Drongo
- House Crow
- Common Tailorbird
- Delicate Prinia
- Ashy Prinia
- Clamorous Reed Warbler
- Wire-tailed Swallow
- Red-vented Bulbul
- Striated Babbler
- Indian Pied Starling
- Brahminy Starling
- Common Myna
- Oriental Magpie-Robin
- Pied Bushchat
- Brown Rock Chat
- Purple Sunbird
- Black-breasted Weaver
- Indian Silverbill
- House Sparrow
- Citrine Wagtail
- Paddyfield Pipit
- Rosy Pipit
- Yellow-footed Green-Pigeon
- Common Hawk-Cuckoo
- Jungle Babbler
- Sind Sparrow