THOL BIRD SANCTUARY
Located in Gujarat, Thol Bird Sanctuary is a popular habitat of the Sarus crane (tallest flying bird of the
world) and waterfowls in the country. The sanctuary is basically a man-made wetland and was earlier
established as an irrigation tank.
Notification: Bird Sanctuary: November 1988.
Flora
Vegetation cover: fallow land, cropland and scrub forest.
Trees and plants: desi baval, neem, vad, bor, kerdo, gando baval, pilu and number of different floating
aquatic plants.
Avian Fauna
Migratory birds: Sarus Crane, Common Teal, White Storks, Northern Pintail, Greater White Pelicans,
Greater Flamingoes, Herons, Rosy Pelicans, Brahminy Ducks, Northern Shoveler and others.
Resident birds: Purple Swamp hen, Ibises, Indian Roller, Purple Sunbird, Drongos, Painted Storks, Greater
Coucal, Purple and Grey Heron, Green Bee-eater, waterfowls, etc.
Getting there
The closest airport, bus and railway terminuses are located at Ahmedabad, which is about 40km away.
Kadi, approximately 55km away, is another nearest bus terminal to Thol Bird Sanctuary.
Tourist Information
No staying facilities are available within the sanctuary. The tourists can stay at Ahmedabad where
different accommodation options are available and make a day trip to the bird reserve.
Bird watching and nature walk are important activities of the tourists in the reserve. While going for bird
watching it is always advisable to carry binoculars, camera and a bird book for convenience.
Nalsarovar, Indroda Nature Park (Gandhinagar), Sabarmati Ashram (Ahmedabad), etc. are some
important places of interest located near the sanctuary.
Additional Information
Location: Thol Bird Sanctuary, Mehsana district, Gujarat – 382165
Area: approximately 6.99 sq km
Ideal time to visit: November to February
Timings: 6 am to 5.30 pm (daily)
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