Bird Walk at AJC Bose Botanical Garden, Kolkata

About AJC Bose Botanical Garden

Nestled along the western bank of the Hooghly River in Howrah, the Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden (AJCBIBG) is a living museum of plant diversity and one of the oldest and largest botanical gardens in India. Established in 1787 by Colonel Robert Kyd of the British East India Company, the garden was originally created to promote the cultivation of economically important plants. Today, spread over an impressive 273 acres, it hosts over 12,000 living plants from across the globe, including some of the rarest and most exotic species.

The garden’s crown jewel is the iconic Great Banyan Tree, often hailed as the largest tree in the world in terms of canopy spread. This more-than-250-year-old botanical wonder covers over 3.5 acres with its sprawling aerial roots, creating the illusion of a miniature forest. The garden boasts extensive collections of palms, orchids, aquatic plants, medicinal species, and towering mahoganies, along with meticulously maintained avenues and water bodies that serve as important habitats for birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. Rich in history and biodiversity, AJCBIBG is not just a recreational escape but also a hub for botanical research and conservation under the Botanical Survey of India. Its role extends beyond preserving plant species—it also provides vital ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, cooling the surrounding area, and supporting urban biodiversity in the bustling Kolkata–Howrah region. For students, researchers, birdwatchers, and casual visitors alike, the garden remains a place where science, history, and natural beauty converge.

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Common birds of AJC Bose Botanical Garden

With over 180 bird species recorded within its sprawling 273-acre landscape, the Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden (AJCBIBG) is one of eastern India’s most important avian refuges. Its rich mosaic of towering trees, bamboo groves, open lawns, wetlands, and the iconic Great Banyan Tree creates a variety of microhabitats that sustain both resident and migratory birds throughout the year. Common residents such as the Yellow-footed Green-Pigeon, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Lineated Barbet, Coppersmith Barbet, Red-vented Bulbul, Jungle Babbler, and Oriental Magpie-Robin can be seen flitting among the dense canopy or foraging along the leafy avenues. The garden’s water bodies attract Indian Cormorants, Bronze-winged and Pheasant-tailed Jacanas, White-breasted Waterhens, and Indian Pond-Herons, while migratory visitors like Whiskered Terns, Wood Sandpipers, and Common Sandpipers use them as seasonal stopovers.

The diversity extends to raptors such as the Shikra, Black Kite, Oriental Honey-buzzard, and occasional winter visitors like the Booted Eagle and Indian Spotted Eagle—clear indicators of a healthy prey base and functioning ecosystem. In spring and winter, the lush undergrowth comes alive with the songs of Orange-headed Thrushes, Taiga Flycatchers, Blyth’s Reed Warblers, and Yellow-browed Warblers. The garden also shelters more elusive species like the Dollarbird, Thick-billed Green-Pigeon, and Striated Heron, rewarding patient birdwatchers.