Bird Walk at East Kolkata Wetlands, Nalban Bheri
- Kolkata
- 14 December, 2025
- Tirthankar Roy Chowdhury
About East Kolkata Wetland
The East Kolkata Wetlands form a vast Ramsar-recognized wetland system on the eastern edge of Kolkata, and Nalban Bheri is one of the important waterbodies within this landscape. These wetlands combine natural marshes with human-made sewage-fed fisheries, creating a unique ecological and economic system. The area is rich in aquatic vegetation, reeds, floating plants, and seasonally flooded grasslands.
Bird diversity is exceptionally high with large congregations of ducks, herons, cormorants, gulls, terns, and migratory shorebirds during winter. The wetlands also support fish, reptiles, otters, and a range of invertebrates. Threats include illegal landfills, real estate pressure, pollution, and shrinkage of water spread areas. Conservation efforts aim to maintain the ecological services these wetlands provide to the city.
Partnered with
Bird Guide: Tirthankar Roy Chowdhury
By profession he is an IT Engineer, at heart a nature enthusiast. He finds joy in observing life in all its forms- from tiny fungi to soaring birds. He lead nature walks that welcome everyone, inspiring children, underpriviledged and specially abled to discover the wonder of nature.
Bird walk Location
Common birds of East Kolkata Wetland
The East Kolkata Wetlands, with an impressive total of 222 recorded species, support a dynamic mix of wetland birds, grassland species, and common urban-edge residents, especially around Nalban Bheri. Regular sightings include White breasted Waterhen, Little Cormorant, Asian Green Bee eater, Common Kingfisher, White throated Kingfisher, Black hooded Oriole, Black Drongo, and good flocks of Yellow footed Green Pigeon using the tree lined edges. The wetlands host rich waterbird life such as Black winged Stilt, Gray headed Lapwing, Oriental Darter, Black headed Ibis, Black crowned Night Heron, Little Egret, Indian Pond Heron, Great Egret, and Purple Heron. The surrounding vegetation supports Spotted Owlet, Coppersmith Barbet, Brown Shrike, Plain Prinia, Blyth’s Reed Warbler, and the ever present Red vented Bulbul, House Crow, Indian Pied Starling, Common Myna, and Jungle Myna. Winter migrants like Taiga Flycatcher and several warblers also visit, while Purple Sunbird adds colour to the flowering shrubs. Together, these birds reflect the ecological richness and year round activity that make the East Kolkata Wetlands one of India’s most important urban wetland bird habitats.
Yellow-footed Green-Pigeon
Black-rumped Flameback
Indian Pond Heron
Common Myna
Black Kite
Black-hooded Oriole
Red-vented Bulbul
Eurasian Moorhen
Eastern Cattle Egret
Coppersmith Barbet
Alexandrine Parakeet
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Asian Green Bee-eater
Black Drongo
House Crow
Asian Koel
White-throated Kingfisher
Black-crowned Night Heron
Purple Sunbird
Spotted Owlet
Summary of Walk
The bird walk at East Kolkata Wetlands – Nalban Bheri, led by Tirthankar Roy Chowdhury, was attended by 10 adults and 2 children. For most participants, this was their first visit to the East Kolkata Wetlands, often referred to as the “kidney of Kolkata”, and they were deeply impressed while learning about its crucial role as a biodiversity-rich ecosystem. A total of 34 bird species were recorded during the walk, including prominent waterbirds such as Purple Herons, Cormorants, Black-crowned Night Herons, and Grey Herons, while Oriental Darters were observed flying overhead. Eurasian Moorhens and Little Grebes were seen foraging, with participants especially fascinated by the Little Grebes diving underwater and resurfacing moments later.
Smaller passerines and other birds like the Common Kingfisher, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Green Bee-eater, Common Hawk Cuckoo, Black-hooded Oriole, and Plain Prinia added to the excitement. Although the group was disappointed at not spotting the flagship species of the wetlands—the Pied Kingfisher—close views of many other birds through binoculars and spotting scopes made the experience rewarding. One of the volunteers, Chandrima, further enriched the walk by showing participants butterfly eggs, caterpillars, and pupae on host plants, deepening everyone’s understanding of the wetland ecosystem. A particularly touching moment came when one of the children noticed plastic waste and remarked on the need to clean the birds’ habitat. Inspired by this, the group collectively pledged to return soon on another bird walk, better equipped to help clean and protect the home of the birds and butterflies they encountered.
Number of Participants
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