Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary is a spectacular natural lake with shallow waters and muddy lagoons, dotted by 360 islets. It offers an ideal wintering ground for thousands of migratory birds. These birds travel tiring lengths from Central Asia, Europe and Siberia to escape from severe cold of harsh winter there. 

In addition to migratory birds, many resident as well as local migratory birds also visit this place. This lake and the wetlands around it were declared a bird sanctuary in April' 1969.

It is thrilling to canoe through such shallow water and come very close to the flocks of pelicans, large groups of flamingoes and coots and different types of ducks.

Nal Sarovar Birds SanctuaryMigratory birds start arriving here in October and stay till April. Their population reaches its peak in mid winter.

There are 360 islets in the lake. Most of them lie exposed when the water level is low. The lake gets filled with water that drains from the adjoining Surendranagar and Ahmedabad districts in the monsoon. With this fresh water inflow, brackishness in the lake is reduced considerably.

The sheer number of birds that is encountered in this beautiful place leaves the bird-watchers spellbound. As you move towards the islets through the sedges and aquatic grass, you hear sudden fluttering of thousands of birds.

Both the flamingoes i.e. Lesser and Greater inhabit Nalsarovar. The former frequents the sanctuary during monsoon and post monsoon periods whereas the latter becomes abundant as the salinity increases after the monsoon.

A very significant conservation value of Nalsarovar lies in its large congregation of important birds such as Grey-lag geese, Open-bill stork, Glossy ibis, Coots, Cranes etc. It is also noteworthy that of the three species of pelicans in India, the two species viz. Rosy and Dalmatian pelicans are found here

** Boat Rides , Guide, Tours - Please contact your travel agents.   Below are the entrance fees which are on actual and payable at the time of visit.

** All National park are remain closed from 15th June to 15th Oct (Every year)

Location - Ahmedabad (65kms), Viramgam (40 kms) and Sanand (45 kms).

The Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary is 1.5hrs drive west of Ahmedabad. Spread over 120 sq.kms, it is the largest wetland bird sanctuary in Gujarat. The huge lake and the extensive reed beds and marshes support rich aquatic life and plants, and thus provide the perfect habitat for birds. Over 225 species of birds have been spotted here, of which 140 are water birds.

The best time to visit Nal Sarovar is in winter when migrant birds appear from various parts of the world. Thousands of migratory waterfowl flock to the shallow areas of the lake and the ponds on the outer fringes of the lake.

Birding is usually done on foot as well as by small hand-punted boats. Popular waterbirds include flamingoes, cranes, ducks, gulls, terns, kingfishers, shovellers, cormorants, egrets, herons, ibis, etc. Apart from waterbirds, you can also see birds of prey, bee-eaters, rollers, doves, lapwings, coucals, parakeets, fly catchers, starlings, mynahs, bulbuls, sunbirds, wagtails etc.