Bird Walk at Near Rajghat Besant School, Varanasi
- Varanasi
- 3 October, 2026
- Anjali Krishna
About Near Rajghat Besant School
In the north of Varanasi, the Varuna river meets the Ganga beside the leafy 400-acre campus of the Rajghat Education Centre. Jiddu Krishnamurti founded Rajghat Besant School there in 1934. Away from the crowded ghats, this high riverbank has groves of mango and other old trees, farmland, riverside scrub, and wide views over the Ganga’s sandbanks and floodplain. Along with ancient trees on the campus, open country and two rivers, the area has much richer wildlife than most of the city.
Birders come here for both river and woodland birds. On the Ganga, terns, lapwings, wagtails and cormorants use the sandbars. In winter, migrant ducks, gulls and waders often arrive. In the groves, barbets, orioles, woodpeckers and flycatchers are common, while kingfishers work the banks of the Varuna. The Ganges river dolphin, India’s national aquatic animal, still survives in this stretch of river. The ecosystem is fragile, though. Untreated sewage flowing into the Varuna, sand mining, riverfront construction, plastic waste and disturbance on the sandbanks all threaten it. Keeping the campus green, protecting the sandbars where birds nest, and cleaning up the rivers are essential to keeping this unusual corner of Kashi wild.
Bird Guide: Anjali Krishna
Certified Nature Guide by The Naturalist School. Daily lists one bird since 2021, at Sahyadri hills, Chennai, Nainital, Varanasi. eBird id is anjkrishna. She is a nature educator and has experience of over 25 years in birding.
Bird walk Location
Common birds of Near Rajghat Besant School
The old groves at Rajghat feel almost like a forest, and the birds match. The Indian Paradise-Flycatcher is the star, with its long, ribbon-like tail streaming through the shade. The Indian Golden Oriole and the Black-hooded Oriole add flashes of bright yellow and fluting calls to the canopy. The Yellow-footed Green-Pigeon, Uttar Pradesh’s state bird, feeds quietly on figs. The Plum-headed Parakeet, with its rosy head, is a gentler cousin of the noisy Rose-ringed Parakeet. Brown-headed Barbets call from the treetops and Black-rumped Flamebacks drum on old trunks. The Greenish Warbler stops here on its long migration and sings from the trees on campus. Closer to the Varuna, White-throated Kingfishers flash electric blue, Little Cormorants fish, and Black-crowned Night Herons roost out of sight until dusk. Red-wattled Lapwings keep watch on open ground. In the undergrowth, Large Gray and Jungle Babblers forage in chattering groups, the Oriental Magpie-Robin sings, and the Gray Francolin’s calls ring out across the fields. Rufous Treepies, Black Drongos and a hunting Shikra complete a list that shows how much birdlife a green, protected campus can hold.
Indian Paradise-Flycatcher
Indian Golden Oriole
Black-hooded Oriole
Yellow-footed Green-Pigeon
Plum-headed Parakeet
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Brown-headed Barbet
Black-rumped Flameback
White-throated Kingfisher
Black-crowned Night Heron
Little Cormorant
Red-wattled Lapwing
Shikra
Greenish Warbler
Common Tailorbird
Oriental Magpie-Robin
Large Gray Babbler
Jungle Babbler
Rufous Treepie
Black Drongo
Summary of Walk
Twelve nature lovers joined guide Anjali Krishna near Rajghat Besant School in Varanasi on 3 October for a peaceful and rewarding walk through leafy forest and along the banks of the Varuna River. The group recorded 33 species, and the quiet beauty of the setting made the morning feel special from the very first step. Early on, the call of an Indian Paradise-Flycatcher rang out from the trees, and as the group pursued it, they glimpsed a Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher instead, its throat and breast a pretty orange, a most unexpected and delightful surprise that became one of the walk’s finest moments. Walking quietly in the peace of the leafy forest was a delight in itself, and the Black-hooded Oriole added a flash of golden yellow among the branches, making a wonderful highlight. The river itself offered a spectacle of its own. The Varuna was full of action, and the group enjoyed a three-dimensional cinema experience as six Pied Kingfishers and three White-throated Kingfishers zipped over the water, calling loudly as they flew. White-browed Wagtails sang merrily on a boat parked nearby, adding a charming touch to the scene, and as the walk drew to a close a Jungle Owlet called from the trees, giving the morning a perfect finale. Anjali’s gentle guidance helped everyone tune in to the sounds and movements around them, and the group left with a sense of calm and gratitude. It was a lovely reminder that the ancient city of Varanasi holds quiet corners where nature thrives, and that a few hours of mindful watching can be deeply restorative.
Number of Participants
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