Bird Walk at Nalagandla Lake, Hyderabad
- Hyderabad
- 17 October, 2026
- Aakash Aggarwal
About Nalagandla
Located in the rapidly growing western suburbs of Hyderabad, Telangana, Nallagandla Lake is an important urban wetland that provides a valuable green refuge amid the city’s expanding landscape. The lake and its surrounding vegetation create a mosaic of open water, wetland edges, scrub and tree cover, offering space for aquatic life as well as a variety of birds and other urban wildlife. Despite being surrounded by development, the lake remains an important natural feature for the local environment and provides residents with an opportunity to experience nature close to the city.
Urban wetlands such as Nallagandla Lake play an important ecological role by supporting biodiversity, retaining water and providing feeding and resting areas for birds. Their importance becomes especially clear as cities expand and natural habitats become increasingly fragmented. Protecting the lake, maintaining its vegetation and water quality, and managing pressures from surrounding development are essential to ensure that this small but valuable urban ecosystem continues to support wildlife and remains a place where people can connect with nature.
Bird Guide - Aakash Aggarwal
He is a bird watcher and wildlife photographer with 3 years of experience leading field expeditions, and he can identify over 250 bird species by sight and sound. He was the top eBird contributor for his local wetland in 2026 and has been featured on the Telangana Rare Bird Alert three times for waterfowl sightings. On walks, he enjoys breaking down bird behaviour and ecosystem dynamics into simple, engaging explanations, and he communicates fluently in both Hindi and English.
Bird walk Location
Common birds of Nalagandla
Nallagandla Lake supports a lively community of resident and wetland-associated birds, making it an interesting birding spot within Hyderabad. The surrounding trees and scrub attract colourful species such as the Purple-rumped Sunbird, Pale-billed Flowerpecker, Indian White-eye, Coppersmith Barbet, Asian Green Bee-eater and Small Minivet, while the lake itself provides habitat for Little Cormorant, Oriental Darter and White-breasted Waterhen. Other sightings, including the Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher, Yellow-billed Babbler, Red-vented Bulbul, White-browed Bulbul, Ashy Prinia, Common Tailorbird, Black Drongo, Common Iora, Black-headed Cuckooshrike, Rose-ringed Parakeet, White-throated Kingfisher, Asian Palm Swift, Common Hawk-Cuckoo, Asian Koel, Blue-faced Malkoha, Spotted Dove and Indian Peafowl, demonstrate the diversity of habitats around the lake. These observations highlight how even an urban wetland can provide important feeding, nesting and sheltering opportunities for a surprisingly rich bird community.
Purple-rumped Sunbird
Pale-billed Flowerpecker
Tickell's Blue Flycatcher
Yellow-billed Babbler
Indian White-eye
Red-vented Bulbul
White-browed Bulbul
Ashy Prinia
Common Tailorbird
Black Drongo
Common Iora
Black-headed Cuckooshrike
Small Minivet
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Coppersmith Barbet
White-throated Kingfisher
Asian Green Bee-eater
Little Cormorant
Oriental Darter
White-breasted Waterhen
Summary of Walk
Thirteen birders joined guide Aakash Aggarwal at Nallagandla Lake in Hyderabad on 17 October for a walk that was engaging from the first moment, with good weather and a beautiful sunrise setting the scene. The group recorded 48 species, including many resident birds and a few passage and winter migrants, and they enjoyed fascinating behaviour along the way, from Baya Weavers busy building their nests to cormorants sunbathing with their wings spread wide. The Grey Francolins and White-throated Kingfishers added their pleasant calls to the morning chorus, and the River Tern, with its swift, graceful flight over the water, was one of the highlights, while the Long-tailed Shrike and Purple Heron also made appearances. Participants were delighted to see such brightly coloured birds as Red Avadavats and Asian Green Bee-eaters so close to home, and many were surprised by the sheer volume of species found in a single lake right in the heart of the city. The kids enjoyed the walk too, and it was a special moment when the group learned that one of the participants was the developer of the sound identification feature in the Ataavi app, a lovely reminder of the community behind the walks. There were a few familiar faces from earlier walks and many first-time birders, and everyone joined in conversations with the guide and with one another, asked questions and clicked plenty of pictures. Aakash guided the walk with warmth and enthusiasm, making sure everyone got a good look at each bird. It was a wonderful morning that showed how rewarding it can be to explore the birdlife of a city lake with a curious, friendly group.
Number of Participants
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