Bird walk at Van Vihar National Park, Bhopal, MP

About Van Vihar National Park

Van Vihar National Park in Bhopal stretches along the shimmering edge of Upper Lake, where forested hills roll gently into water and city noise dissolves into birdsong. Though compact in size, the park feels like a green amphitheatre—dry deciduous woodland, rocky slopes, quiet grass patches, and lakefront marshes all folding into one another. Visitors wandering its cycling paths often feel the city fall away behind them, replaced by spotted deer grazing in the shade, wild boar rustling through leaf litter, and raptors circling lazily above the lake’s silver skin. Its unique model—part zoo, part free-ranging wildlife sanctuary—creates a landscape where rescued animals find safe refuge and wild species move freely across the terrain.

For nature lovers and birdwatchers, Van Vihar is a dependable haven. The lake’s edge draws herons, cormorants, storks, and winter ducks, while the forest hosts barbets, parakeets, drongos, peafowl, and a chorus of woodland songbirds. Morning walkers often witness the slow unfurling of the park’s rhythm—the sun easing over the hills, langurs leaping between branches, and the air turning alive with calls from tree and water alike. As Bhopal expands, Van Vihar remains a breathing space for both wildlife and people, reminding the city that its most treasured calm still comes from these protected pockets of green.

Bird walk Location

Common birds of Van Vihar National Park

With 264 species recorded, Van Vihar National Park offers a dazzling blend of lake-loving birds, woodland regulars, and open-country specialists. Along the water’s edge, watchers frequently spot Black-winged Stilts, Bronze-winged Jacanas, Purple Swamphens, White-breasted Waterhens, Moorhens, Spot-billed Ducks, and an elegant lineup of herons and egrets—from Pond Heron to Grey Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Little Egret, and Great Egret. The tree-lined paths stay lively with Purple Sunbirds, Coppersmith Barbets, Rose-ringed Parakeets, Common Ioras, Cinerous Tits, Jungle Babblers, White-browed Fantails, and the yellow flare of the Golden Oriole. Open patches draw Green Bee-eaters, Indian Robins, Oriental Magpie Robins, Ashy and Plain Prinias, while raptors like the Shikra keep a quiet watch overhead. Add in Indian Peafowl, Woolly-necked Storks, Red-vented Bulbuls, Spotted Doves, Large-billed Crows, Baya Weavers, and two striking kingfishers—the White-throated and Common—and Van Vihar becomes a richly layered theatre of birdlife all year round.