Bird Life in the Sundarbans

The Sundarbans is a haven for nearly 300 bird species, including 139 migratory species that are winter and summer visitors, passage, and vagrants to Bangladesh. A total of 28 globally threatened and Near Threatened species were recorded from the Sundarbans, three of them Critically Endangered (Spoon-billed Sandpiper, White-rumped Vulture, and Slender-billed Vulture), four Endangered (Masked Finfoot, Great Knot, Steppe Eagle, and Pallas’s Fish Eagle), three Vulnerable and 18 Near Threatened. In addition to this impressive list, many other bird species make this lush green forest a colorful and attractive place for birders to observe and study birds. From kingfishers to sunbirds to bee-eaters, Mangrove Pitta, doves, pigeons, minivets, lapwings, ducks, gulls, herons, egrets, sandpipers, birds of prey, parakeets, munias, flowerpeckers, and more (Chowdhury, 2020).

Journey to the Sundarbans to discover the captivating avifauna through the variety of birdwatching excursion opportunities available to tourists. Set off on a sunrise or sunset silent country boat tour for picturesque bird sightings during golden hour, or venture to one of the Sundarban's many watchtowers to get a closer look from above. Sundarbans villages also support suitable habitats for some species. Learning the local names of birds and listening to the legends and stories about them will make bird-watching trips all that more memorable.

Whether you’re a passionate birdwatcher or simply a lover of nature, journey to this UNESCO World Heritage site and experience these sights and sounds yourself! You can start checking off your observations list by looking for these five fascinating birds of the Sundarbans.