Bird Walk at Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, Bhopal, MP
- Bhopal
- 15 February, 2026
- Sarang Mhatre and MP Tourism
About Indira Gandhi Rasthtriya Manav Sangrahalaya
Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS), or the National Museum of Mankind, is located on the picturesque Shyamla Hills in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Established in 1977, this unique anthropological museum sprawls across nearly 200 acres overlooking the Upper Lake, making it one of the largest open-air museums in Asia. Designed to showcase the evolution of humankind and the diversity of Indian cultural traditions, the museum integrates both indoor galleries and expansive outdoor exhibits.
The museum highlights the living heritage of tribal and folk communities through life-sized dwellings, reconstructed villages, and thematic exhibitions on rituals, crafts, and ecological adaptations. With more than 80 open-air displays and collections from across India, IGRMS provides an immersive experience into the coexistence of people, culture, and nature. Beyond its role as a repository of heritage, it also functions as a center for research, documentation, and cultural dialogue. Despite challenges of modernization and changing lifestyles, the museum remains a vibrant space where the richness of India’s human story is preserved and celebrated within a natural landscape.
Bird Guide: Sarang Mhatre
He is a bird expert, naturalist, Master trainer for Anubhuti Eco Camp in MP and a wildlife photographer. He has been working with MP Forest Department since 2016 and is the co-founder of Tarang EcoTours.
Bird walk Location
Common birds of IGRMS
Spread across nearly 200 acres of natural hill slopes overlooking the Upper Lake, the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS) offers a unique blend of cultural heritage and biodiversity. Its wooded landscape, open-air exhibits, and patches of scrub and grasslands provide a mosaic of habitats that attract a wide range of bird species. Early mornings often echo with the calls of barbets, bulbuls, and drongos, while the shaded groves shelter species like parakeets, treepies, and cuckoos. Raptors such as kites and shikras are frequently sighted soaring above the open areas, taking advantage of the museum’s proximity to the lake and urban green spaces.
During the winter months, the adjoining Upper Lake draws large numbers of migratory waterbirds, many of which can also be observed from within the museum premises. Species such as common hawk cuckoo, indian grey hornbill, greater coucal, subirds are regular visitors, while flocks of gulls and terns enliven the waterscape. Together, the resident woodland birds and the seasonal migrants make IGRMS not just a cultural treasure but also a vibrant birdwatching destination, where art, history, and ecology seamlessly converge.
Coppersmith Barbet
Marsh Harrier
Black Kite
Grey-headed Swamphen
River Tern
Laughing Dove
Spotted Dove
Red-wattled Lapwing
Wire-tailed Swallow
Long-tailed Shrike
Indian Pond Heron
Purple Heron
White-throated Kingfisher
Grey Wagtail
White-breasted Waterhen
Little Cormorant
Golden Oriole
Indian Roller
Asian Pied Starling
Cotton Pygmy Goose
Summary of Walk
The bird walk at Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS), Bhopal, led by Sarang Mhatre, co-founder of Tarang Ecotours, in collaboration with MP Tourism, brought together a small but enthusiastic group of six bird and nature lovers for a rewarding morning of exploration. The museum’s unique blend of woodland patches and open habitats created an ideal setting for birdwatching, allowing participants to record an impressive 36 species. Highlights included the vibrant Golden Oriole and Black-hooded Oriole, the striking Yellow-crowned Woodpecker, the elegant White-bellied Drongo, and the charismatic Indian Grey Hornbill, alongside species like Rufous Treepie, Coppersmith Barbet, Scaly-breasted Munia, and Chestnut-shouldered Petronia. Each sighting offered an opportunity to observe fascinating behaviors and learn about the ecological roles of these birds.
Participants appreciated the engaging and informative guidance, which made the walk enjoyable for both beginners and experienced birders. Sarang’s clear explanations and storytelling helped bring the landscape to life, deepening everyone’s understanding of the birds and their habitats. The prompt sharing of bird photographs and a complete checklist after the walk added further value, allowing participants to revisit and reflect on their experience. The walk not only showcased the rich avian diversity of IGRMS but also highlighted the importance of community birding as a meaningful way to connect with nature and contribute to ongoing citizen science efforts.
Number of Participants
0
