Sajnekhali Bird Sanctuary Wildlife

Sajnakhali Wildlife Sanctuary spreads across an area of about 362 square kilometers in the northern part of the Sundarbans delta in the state of West Bengal, India. It is situated between the Rivers Peechkali and Gomti and is possibly the only place where tourists can jist casually take a walk. It is placed adjacent to the Sunderban Tiger Reserve. 

Sajnekhali Bird Sanctuary has another common name which is Sajnekhali Abhayaranya. This place is a complete paradise for all the bird lovers and also one of the three wildlife sanctuaries in Sundarbans. This sanctuary is very famously known for its diverse bird population. The area is mainly mangrove scrub, forest and swamp. It was set up as a sanctuary in 1976. It is home to a rich population of different species of wildlife and migratory birds.

This Sanctuary is situated at a distance of 130 kilometers from Kolkata and Canning is the nearest railway station of it from where ferry services towards Sajnakhali are easily available from Gosaba. You can even hire a rented boat or a motor launch to reach the Sajnakhali Bird Sanctuary from Namkhana, Basanti or Gadkhali.

This bird sanctuary is a dwelling for various egrets, herons and several other species of exotic birds. Visitors can also pay a visit to the Mangrove Interpretation Centre that is located here where you can learn more about the surroundings. This bird sanctuary is very much considered to be a part of the Sunderbans Tiger Reserve, known for its rich bird population. On top of that, visitors can also discover several multi colored species of Kingfisher, Plovers, Sandpipers, Whimbrels, White Bellied Sea Eagle, Lap-Wings and Curfews.

Besides being home to a huge colony of herons, this bird sanctuary also houses a Visitor’s Centre where tourists can sight a crocodile enclosure and a shark pond along with a turtle hatchery. The Sajnekhali Bird Sanctuary is an ideal destination for nature enthusiasts and bird lovers. 

Sajnekhali Watch Tower is the perfect place to spot the wildlife from a height. You will get the opportunity to witness a variety of colorful species of kingfishers, plovers, sandpipers, egrets, herons, white-bellied sea eagles and several others. 

You can actually spend hours on the top of the tower to spot the magnificent birds and capture them in your cameras. If you are lucky enough, you can even spot a tiger as most of the tigers are sighted from this tower itself. Some other wildlife species that also can be seen from this watch tower are the axis deer, wild boars and crocodiles.

This watch tower has a capacity to host 25 people at one time and also there is a sweet water pond located here where animals come to drink water. At the rear of the pond, one can see stretches of land bereft of any vegetation where one can sight animals from a distance.

There is also a Bono Bibi Temple and a Crocodile Park in the Sajnekhali watchtower complex and this watch tower provides one with the opportunity to view wildlife from a close proximity. The most mesmerizing sight that is surely going to amuse a bird watcher is the range of the seven colorful species of the Kingfisher, White Bellied Sea Eagle, Plovers, Lap-Wings, Curfews, Whimprel, Sandpipers and the occasional Pelican.

One can also visit the Bhagabatpur Crocodile breeding farm & the Halliday Island which are very near to the bird sanctuary and can be easily visited using the ferry from the Sajnekhali jetty. The Sajnekhali Bird Sanctuary can be also reached by taking a boat from Canning which is easily accessible from Kolkata via bus or train.