Bird Walk at Pashan Lake, Pune

About Pashan Lake, Pune

Pashan Lake, located on the northwestern edge of Pune, Maharashtra, is an artificial reservoir built during the British era to meet the city’s water needs. Fed by small streams from the Ramnadi catchment, the lake is fringed by reed beds, marshes, and patches of scrub that create a mosaic of habitats. Once a primary source of drinking water, Pashan Lake today functions as an important urban wetland, supporting biodiversity while also offering a recreational space for nearby residents. Despite facing pressures from encroachment, sewage inflow, and siltation, it remains one of Pune’s most accessible birding destinations.

The lake and its surroundings attract over 243 species of birds, including both resident and migratory visitors. Waterbirds such as little grebes, spot-billed ducks, common coots, and moorhens are frequently seen, while winter brings in migratory waders like sandpipers, stilts, and wagtails. Raptors such as marsh harriers and kites patrol the wetland, while the surrounding vegetation shelters species like sunbirds, bulbuls, and prinias. With its blend of woodland, plantation, aquatic and terrestrial habitats, Pashan Lake continues to serve as a vital green space in Pune’s urban landscape, linking ecological value with community engagement and recreation. Plantation has plants like bamboo, peepal, nilgiri, red silk, cotton, etc. where birds like Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher, Red-vented Bulbul, Hawk Cuckoo, Chestnut-tailed Starling can be spotted.

Bird walk Location

Common birds of Pashan Lake

Pashan Lake supports a rich variety of waterbirds, making it one of Pune’s most popular urban birding spots. The lake’s open waters and reed beds attract species like little grebes, common coots, moorhens, and spot-billed ducks, while grey herons, purple herons, and egrets can often be seen foraging along the shallows. In winter, the lake becomes especially vibrant with the arrival of migratory species such as pintails, garganeys, greater spotted eagle, sandpipers, and wagtails, highlighting its role as a seasonal refuge along the Central Asian Flyway. Raptors like marsh harriers and black kites are also regular, taking advantage of the wetland’s prey-rich environment.

The surrounding scrub and tree cover further enrich the avifaunal diversity of Pashan Lake. Sunbirds, prinias, bulbuls, and tailorbirds flit through the vegetation, while Indian rollers, bee-eaters, and drongos add color and activity to the open areas. Peafowl can sometimes be spotted along the fringes, while parakeets and cuckoos are frequent visitors to the groves. Together, this mix of aquatic, woodland, and migratory birds makes Pashan Lake not only a biodiversity hotspot but also an excellent site for nature education and community birdwatching within Pune’s urban sprawl.