Bird Walk at Rajanukunte lake, Bengaluru
- Bengaluru
- 16 August, 2026
- Subhas P
About Rajanukunte Lake
Rajanukunte Lake is a freshwater wetland located in the northern outskirts of Bengaluru, surrounded by a rapidly developing landscape of residential areas, agricultural fields, and open scrub. The lake forms an important part of the region’s network of urban and peri-urban wetlands, providing water and habitat for a variety of wildlife. Its open water, marshy margins, vegetation, and surrounding trees create a diverse landscape that also contributes to groundwater recharge and helps moderate the effects of urbanisation. Despite increasing development around the lake, it continues to serve as a valuable refuge for local biodiversity.
The wetland is particularly important for birds, with its combination of shallow water, muddy edges, aquatic vegetation, and surrounding open habitats providing feeding and roosting opportunities for both waterbirds and terrestrial species. Resident birds can be observed throughout the year, while seasonal changes in water levels and the arrival of winter migrants add to the diversity. The lake also offers opportunities for nature walks and birdwatching, making it a useful site for connecting people with Bengaluru’s wetland ecosystems and highlighting the importance of conserving smaller lakes within the city’s expanding urban landscape.
Bird Guide: Subhas P
Birding since 2020, attended Bird Surveys at Hyderabad,Tirupati,Pulicat,Pondicherry and Krishnagiri. Regularly conducting Bird walks at GKVK Bengaluru for campus students. Exploring North Karnataka areas and helping to make more hotspots.
Bird walk Location
Common birds of Rajanukunte Lake
Common birds recorded around Rajanukunte Lake include Spot-billed Pelican, Painted Stork, Asian Openbill, Black-headed Ibis, Indian Pond Heron, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Little Egret, Great Egret, Little Cormorant, Oriental Darter, Little Grebe, Common Moorhen, White-breasted Waterhen, Purple Swamphen, Black-winged Stilt, Red-wattled Lapwing, Bronze-winged Jacana, White-throated Kingfisher, Common Kingfisher, Black Drongo, Indian Roller, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Red-vented Bulbul, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Purple Sunbird, Ashy Prinia, Indian Robin, Common Myna, Jungle Myna, Spotted Dove, and House Sparrow. During winter, the lake may also attract migratory ducks, waders, and other wetland birds.
Indian Spot-Billed Duck
Indian Peafowl
Rock Pigeon
Spotted Dove
Greater Coucal
Asian Koel
Little Swift
Eurasian Moorhen
Eurasian Coot
Gray-Headed Swamphen
White-Breasted Waterhen
Black-Winged Stilt
Red-Wattled Lapwing
Bronze-Winged Jacana
Little Grebe
Painted Stork
Little Cormorant
Glossy Ibis
Black-Headed Ibis
Little Egret
Summary of Walk
An intimate group of 2 newcomers joined guide Subhas P at Rajanukunte Lake in Bengaluru, a large water body with strong potential for hosting rarities given its size and surrounding agricultural and scrub habitat. Despite being new to birdwatching, both participants engaged actively throughout the session, and one of the highlights of the day for Subhas was seeing them download the Ataavi app so they could continue logging sightings and learning about birds well beyond this single walk together.
The walk produced a strong tally of 57 species, with a Lesser Whistling Duck, a juvenile Common Hawk-Cuckoo, and a Baya Weaver nesting site among the top highlights, the latter offering good views of both nesting males and females at close range. A group of munias with juveniles added further interest, and Rose-ringed Parakeets and Baya Weavers were both seen feeding together in a single corn plot near the lake. Numerous butterflies rounded out the morning’s wildlife sightings, making for a varied and genuinely enjoyable walk despite the small group size at Rajanukunte, with Subhas noting that the lake’s scale means even small groups can spread out and cover more ground, often turning up sightings that larger, noisier groups might otherwise miss.
Number of Participants
0
