Hyderabad

Birds of Hyderabad

Hyderabad's best birding is on its old lakes and the scrub forests the city grew around. Ameenpur Lake, on the north-western edge, was the first water body in India declared a Biodiversity Heritage Site, with around 170 bird species recorded; KBR National Park, in the middle of the city, has some 140 species and peacocks on the paths. Below: where to go, when, and how to pick out six birds that matter here.

Indian roller

The state bird of Telangana, where it is palapitta. Seeing one on Dussehra is held to bring success, and the bird is a fixture of Telangana's festival imagery, which is also why releasing captive rollers at Dussehra is now prosecuted as a wildlife offence.

Coracias benghalensis

Painted stork

Ameenpur was notified in November 2016 as the first water body in India to be declared a Biodiversity Heritage Site, and the first such site in an urban area. Around 170 bird species have been recorded there.

Mycteria leucocephala

Asian openbill

Openbill colonies settle inside villages, in mango and tamarind trees over houses, and are generally left alone by the households below.

Anastomus oscitans

Indian pond heron

Its Hindi name means “blind heron”, from the way it lets people walk almost up to it before flying: patience, not blindness.

Ardeola grayii

Rose-ringed parakeet

The parrot on a shoulder is a stock image of Indian miniature painting and of the pet trade that once fed on it; trade in Indian parakeets is now illegal, and the birds you see are wild.

Psittacula krameri

Indian peafowl

The forest department counts the peafowl of KBR National Park every November, and the number holds at about 550: 550 in 2021, 544 in 2022 and 565 in 2023, all in 390 acres in the middle of Hyderabad.

Pavo cristatus

Where to go birdwatching in Hyderabad

Ameenpur Lake is a Qutb Shahi-era tank on the north-western outskirts, declared a Biodiversity Heritage Site in November 2016. Between November and March flamingos, pelicans and painted storks turn up in the shallows. The lake is under pressure from encroachment and pollution, and what you see varies from year to year. It is free, unfenced and has no facilities; the best way in is a winter dawn walk with Hyderabad Birding Pals, whose weekend walks take beginners.

KBR National Park is 160 hectares of scrub forest around the Nizam-era Chiran Palace, between Jubilee Hills and Banjara Hills, with around 140 bird species and peafowl crossing the trails. The inner park keeps morning and late-afternoon slots for a small ticket; the outer track is free. First light is when the birds are loudest.

Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Park, about 15 km south-east, is open grassland protected since 1975 for blackbuck, with peafowl among the animals; safari vans run through the day, and winter mornings give the clearest sightings.

The Hyderabad Botanical Garden near HITEC City is 110 hectares of Forest Department land where people walk slowly and watch birds. For a day out, Ananthagiri Hills, about 80 km west, is the nearest real forest, with marked trails and good birding, at its best from September to December.

How to find six signature birds

The species list on this page says why each bird matters here; this is where and how to look.

Indian roller: look at the wires

Telangana's state bird, palapitta, sits on roadside wires and trees over open grassland and scrub, all year. Perched, it looks brown with some blue; in flight the bright blue bands on the wings flash out.

Painted stork: Ameenpur in winter

A large white stork with a heavy yellow down-curved bill, a bare orange-red face and pink feathers over the back, feeding in flocks in the shallows with the bill half open. At Ameenpur it is one of the winter birds of November to March.

Asian openbill: the gap in the bill

A greyish-white stork with glossy black wings and a visible gap between the two halves of the bill, which helps it handle snails. It breeds after the rains in colonies, often in village trees over houses.

Indian pond heron: wait for the white

At the edge of any small pond, a stocky streaked brown heron almost invisible until it takes off and shows bright white wings. It lets you come very close, which is where its 'blind heron' name comes from. Year-round.

Rose-ringed parakeet: listen first

A noisy, unmistakable squawk, then a green parrot with a red bill and a long blue tail. Only adult males wear the pink and black neck ring. Year-round, in parks and gardens.

Indian peafowl: KBR at dawn

KBR's peafowl number about 550 in the forest department's November counts, and they cross the paths early. Harina Vanasthali has them on open ground. The male's train is complete by February to March and is moulted at the end of the monsoon, in August or September.

Best season and time of day

November to March is the season for the lakes: the winter visitors are in at Ameenpur, and the weather is dry and mild. April to June is very hot, with days of 40 °C and more, so go out only at first light. July to September brings the monsoon: the openbills nest after the rains, and the peacocks drop their trains at its end. In any month the first hours after sunrise are the best. Weather by month: best time to visit Hyderabad.

Good to know

Do not buy caged parakeets — Trade in Indian parakeets is illegal, and the parakeets you see in the city are wild birds.
Rollers are not for release — Seeing a roller on Dussehra is held to bring success, and releasing captive rollers at Dussehra is now prosecuted as a wildlife offence.
Go prepared to Ameenpur — There are no facilities at the lake: bring water and come at dawn, ideally with a birding group.
More nature on other pages — Mammals and reptiles: animals of Hyderabad; butterflies; trees and flowers; lakes of Hyderabad.

FAQ

What is the state bird of Telangana?

The Indian roller, called palapitta in Telugu. Seeing one on Dussehra is held to bring success.

Where can I go bird watching in Hyderabad?

Ameenpur Lake on the north-western edge, with around 170 recorded species, is the main site; KBR National Park in the centre has some 140 species. Mahavir Harina Vanasthali, the Botanical Garden and, further out, Ananthagiri Hills are the others.

When is the best time for bird watching in Hyderabad?

November to March, when winter visitors such as flamingos, pelicans and painted storks come to Ameenpur, and always in the first hours after sunrise.

What birds are common in Hyderabad?

Among the easiest to see are the Indian roller, the rose-ringed parakeet, the Indian pond heron and the Indian peafowl; on the lakes, the painted stork and the Asian openbill.

Are there peacocks in Hyderabad?

Yes. KBR National Park, in the middle of the city, holds about 550 peafowl by the forest department's counts, and they cross the paths in the early morning.

Sources (8)

Facts checked: 15 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.

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