Bird walk at DDA Forest Park, Central Ridge, New Delhi
- Delhi
- 20 September, 2026
- Ankit Aryan
About DDA forest park
DDA Forest Park is a green space within Delhi’s urban landscape, offering a mix of tree cover, scrub, open patches, and natural vegetation. The park provides a relatively quieter habitat amid the surrounding city, with different layers of vegetation creating varied conditions across the landscape. Open ground and grassy areas occur alongside mature trees, shrubs, and understory vegetation, while seasonal changes influence the appearance and availability of these habitats.
The park forms part of Delhi’s network of urban green spaces, which provide important ecological pockets within a densely developed environment. These areas can help retain native vegetation, support local biodiversity, and provide opportunities for nature observation close to the city. Maintaining vegetation cover, reducing disturbance, and managing invasive plants and waste are important for preserving the ecological character of the park as surrounding urban development continues.
Bird Guide - Ankit Aryan
He is a Mechanical Engineer with 3 years of experience in birdwatching and a strong passion for environmental conservation. He enjoys exploring nature, observing and documenting birds, and deepening his understanding of their behaviour and habitats. Through his interest in birding, he hopes to encourage greater awareness and appreciation for wildlife and the natural environment.
Bird walk Location
Common birds of DDA forest park
DDA Forest Park supports a diverse bird community, with species representing woodland, scrub, open-ground, and urban habitats. Indian Peafowl, Grey Francolin, Indian Thick-knee, Red-wattled Lapwing, and the two dove species are associated with the open and ground-level habitats. The park also supports several raptors, including Black Kite, Oriental Honey-buzzard, and Spotted Owlet. The Oriental Honey-buzzard was recorded as an uncertain identification, described as a raptor with white coloration around the neck.
A variety of smaller birds add to the diversity, including Common Hoopoe, Indian Grey Hornbill, Asian Green Bee-eater, Coppersmith Barbet, Brown-headed Barbet, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Black Drongo, Rufous Treepie, Common Tailorbird, Grey-breasted Prinia, Ashy Prinia, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Red-vented Bulbul, Indian White-eye, and Jungle Babbler. Asian Koel and Greater Coucal further contribute to the birdlife of the park. Together, these records reflect the variety of habitats provided by the forested and open areas of DDA Forest Park.
Indian Peafowl
Grey Francolin
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Laughing Dove
Greater Coucal
Asian Koel
Indian Thick-knee
Red-wattled Lapwing
Oriental Honey-buzzard
Black Kite
Spotted Owlet
Eurasian Hoopoe
Indian Grey Hornbill
Asian Green Bee-eater
Coppersmith Barbet
Brown-headed Barbet
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Black Drongo
Rufous Treepie
House Crow
Summary of Walk
Seven participants joined guide Ankit Aryan for a bird walk through DDA Forest Park at the Central Ridge in New Delhi, with several members of the group new to birding altogether. The walk introduced them gently to the practice, and it didn’t take long before the excitement kicked in.
The group recorded 22 species, including Hume’s Warbler, Indian White-eye and Red-whiskered Bulbul among the highlights. The newcomers in particular were amazed by a flock of Blue-tailed Bee-eaters moving through together with a scattering of Black Drongos nearby, giving them a memorable first taste of just how much birdlife the Central Ridge’s forest patch has to offer right in the heart of Delhi.
Number of Participants
0
