Bird Walk at Sabarmati River Bank , Gandhinagar, Gujarat

About Sabarmati River Bank

Along the eastern edge of Gandhinagar, the Sabarmati winds through a wide, sandy river valley that looks very different from the concrete riverfront downstream in Ahmedabad. The river changes sharply with the seasons. After the monsoon, braided channels run between sandbars, shallow pools and muddy margins. Through the dry months the water shrinks to a narrow stream across a broad bed of sand and silt. Steep, eroded ravines rise from the banks, covered in thorny scrub, babul, khejri and grasses, with farmland and the green belt of Indroda Nature Park beyond. Nilgai, jackals, mongooses, hares and monitor lizards use these ravines, and the riverbed is busy with fish, frogs and insects.

For birders, the Sabarmati bank combines river birds with dry-country birds. Painted Storks, cormorants, terns, stilts and plovers feed in the channels and on the sandbars. Lapwings, larks and bee-eaters use the open banks. Shrikes, babblers and owlets live in the scrubby ravines, and in winter harriers hunt low over the grassland. But the river is under pressure. Large-scale sand mining scars the riverbed, and sewage and industrial effluent reduce water quality. Fast urban growth, riverfront development and new infrastructure near GIFT City are eating into the floodplain and ravines. Dumping, invasive Prosopis and disturbance on the sandbars add to the strain. Protecting the natural riverbed, the sandbars and the scrubby ravines is vital for keeping the Sabarmati alive with birds.

Bird walk Location

Common birds of Sabarmati River Bank

The Sabarmati’s sandbars and shallow channels draw some striking birds. Painted Storks wade slowly through the water, with rosy wing feathers and heavy yellow bills. River Terns, a globally threatened species, hover and plunge after fish, filling the air with sharp calls. In winter, the elegant Pallid Harrier, a pale grey migrant from Central Asia, glides low over the grassy banks hunting for prey. In the ravines, the little Spotted Owlet peers out from a tree hollow, often bobbing its head at passers-by. The Yellow-wattled Lapwing prefers the dry open ground, while its cousin the Red-wattled Lapwing keeps a noisy watch near the water. Black-winged Stilts step delicately on pink legs, and Little Ringed Plovers run and pause along the sand. Little Cormorants, Indian Pond-Herons and Little Egrets fish the channels. On the scrubby banks, Long-tailed and Bay-backed Shrikes perch on lookout posts, ready to pounce on insects and lizards. Large Gray Babblers forage in chattering groups, and Asian Green Bee-eaters swoop after insects. Wire-tailed and Barn Swallows skim the water, Purple Sunbirds visit flowering shrubs, and Black Kites circle overhead.

Summary of Walk

Five birders joined guide Madhukar Mohan on the Sabarmati River Bank behind Sarita Udyan in Gandhinagar on 18 October for a walk that offered a different kind of birding, and the group recorded 34 species, including both waders and passerines. It was a different experience from the gardens and farmland of earlier walks, because the river terrain revealed very different behaviour: the dance movements of the Common Sandpiper, the tail-wagging of the wagtails and the head-first dives of the River Terns, which kept diving to catch fish and drew admiration from everyone. The highlights included the Common Greenshank and the River Tern, along with the Painted Stork and the Red-naped Ibis. A group of Black-winged Stilts provided a picture-perfect frame, and a group of Black-headed Ibis feeding together was joined by another flock, which landed with a perfect glide. The most unusual sight came from the dam over the river, whose supporting walls are full of holes that serve as a ready-made apartment block for birds. Almost all the holes were occupied by Common Mynas, Bank Mynas, Rock Pigeons and Rose-ringed Parakeets, a lively colony of five or six species that remain active throughout the morning. Madhukar used the sight to explain how birds adapt and how designing small cavities into the outside of our own homes could encourage different species to nest around us. The participants called the guide very knowledgeable and said the walk was well organised, informative and enjoyable. It was a wonderful morning that showed how a river bank can offer a whole new chapter of birdwatching, and a reminder that small design choices can make room for nature.

Number of Participants

Bird Walk at Sabarmati River Bank , Gandhinagar, Gujarat

About Sabarmati River Bank

Bird Guide: Madhukar Mohan

Bird walk Location

Common birds of Sabarmati River Bank

Painted Stork

River Tern

Spotted Owlet

Yellow-wattled Lapwing

Red-wattled Lapwing

Black-winged Stilt

Little Ringed Plover

Little Cormorant

Indian Pond-Heron

Little Egret

Long-tailed Shrike

Bay-backed Shrike

Large Grey Babbler

Asian Green Bee-eater

Wire-tailed Swallow

Barn Swallow

Purple Sunbird

Black Kite

House Sparrow

Rock Pigeon

Summary of Walk

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