Ameenpur Lake

A Qutb Shahi-era tank on the northwestern edge of the city that in 2016 became the first urban Biodiversity Heritage Site declared in India. More than 270 bird species have been recorded on it, and between November and March flamingos, pelicans and painted storks turn up in the shallows. The lake is also under pressure: encroachment and pollution are ongoing, and what you see varies from year to year. The honest advice is to come at dawn in winter with Hyderabad Birding Pals, who run weekend walks that beginners can join. Free, unfenced, no facilities.

270 bird species on a city tank; go at a winter dawn, and with a birding group