India GOBirds of Pune
Pune's birding is at its edges and in its old gardens: Pashan Lake, with well over two hundred species recorded, the scrub hill of Vetal Tekdi, and the old trees of the Empress Botanical Garden. From roughly November to February migrant ducks and waders join the resident birds on the lakes. Below: where to go, how to find six signature species, and when.
Yellow-footed green pigeon
The state bird of Maharashtra, where it is called hariyal. The belief that it avoids the ground is folklore, but it does spend nearly all its time in trees.
Treron phoenicopterus
Indian grey hornbill
The female seals herself into a tree hole with mud while nesting and is fed by the male through a slit, which makes old hollow trees non-negotiable for the species.
Ocyceros birostris
Indian roller
Once common across Maharashtra, where the bird was a reminder that Mahashivratri was approaching, the roller is now largely restricted to Pune's hills and outskirts, such as Vetal Tekdi.
Coracias benghalensis
Painted stork
Several Indian villages protect their stork colonies by custom rather than by law, and the birds nest year after year in the same trees.
Mycteria leucocephala
Northern pintail
Pashan Lake was built by the British in 1867–68 to supply the Kirkee gunpowder works; today it is one of the places inside the city where pintails spend the winter.
Anas acuta
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
Where to go birdwatching in Pune
Pashan Lake, a reed-fringed lake in the north-western suburb of Pashan, is the city's main birding patch: well over two hundred species have been recorded. From roughly November to February the Central Asian Flyway brings pintails, garganeys and sandpipers in among the resident herons, cormorants and kingfishers. A walking track runs round the water; entry is free and there are no facilities.
Vetal Tekdi, the highest ground inside the city at around 800 m, is laced with red-earth trails that start at Law College Road, Senapati Bapat Road, Kothrud and Pashan. Morning walkers here count peafowl, bee-eaters and raptors, and it is where the Indian roller still holds on inside Pune. There is no water at the top.
Empress Botanical Garden, 39 acres near the Race Course, has some of the city's oldest trees, which is what fruit-eating and hole-nesting birds need: the green pigeon and the grey hornbill are seen there often.
Khadakwasla Dam, 15 km out on the Sinhagad road, adds open water and shore for rollers, painted storks and wintering pintails.
How to find six signature birds
The six species India GO lists for Pune, and where each is seen.
Yellow-footed green pigeon: listen in the fig trees
Maharashtra's state bird, hariyal, is green against green. Look for falling fig pulp and listen for a mellow, whistled song from a banyan crown. Often in the Empress Botanical Garden; in season on Vetal Tekdi and in Saras Baug. More
Indian grey hornbill: watch for the glide
A few flaps, then a long glide on closed wings, with a heavy bill in front and a long tail behind; the call is a loud squealing cackle from the canopy. It needs old trees with hollows to nest. Often in the Empress Botanical Garden and on Vetal Tekdi. More
Indian roller: check the wires and bare branches
A stocky bird sitting upright and still on a wire over open ground, dropping onto insects; dull at rest, two shades of brilliant blue in flight. Now largely restricted to Pune's hills and outskirts: Vetal Tekdi, Pashan Lake and Khadakwasla. More
Painted stork: look in the shallows
A large white stork with black wing bands, a pink wash on the lower back and a heavy yellow bill, feeding by sweeping a half-open bill through shallow water. In season at Pashan Lake and Khadakwasla. More
Northern pintail: a winter duck with a long outline
No other Indian duck looks as elongated; the drake has a chocolate head, a white neck stripe and long central tail feathers. Pintails feed by upending in the shallows. They winter at Pashan Lake, built by the British in 1867–68 to supply the Kirkee gunpowder works, and at Khadakwasla. More
Indian pond heron: wait for the white wings
At rest a streaky brown lump at the water's edge, in flight a startling white bird. It lets people walk almost up to it, hence its Hindi name, “blind heron”. At Pashan Lake, Mulshi Lake and in the Osho Teerth Park. More
Best season and time of day
The lakes hold the most birds from roughly November to February, when the migrant ducks and waders are in; that is also Pune's dry, mild season, with almost no rain from December to February. Pashan and Vetal Tekdi belong to early-morning walkers and birdwatchers, and Vetal Tekdi is also good in the last hour of daylight. The grey hornbill nests from April to June, when the sealed-in female stays in her tree hollow. In the monsoon, June to September, the hills around the city turn green. Month-by-month weather is on the Pune weather page.
Good to know
- Bring binoculars and water — Pashan Lake has no facilities at all, and there is no water on Vetal Tekdi.
- The roller is protected — The Indian roller is in Schedule II of the Wild Life (Protection) Act as amended in 2022, and the IUCN now lists it as Near Threatened; do not disturb nests or pay for captive birds.
- Silence in the Osho Teerth Park — The park is free, but silence is the house rule, with no picnics or ball games.
- Add your sightings — Bird Count India runs the Pune Bird Atlas, a long-term systematic survey of the city's birds using the same methods as the Mysuru and Kerala atlases; birders record sightings on eBird.
More wildlife around Pune
The same hills and gardens hold more than birds: see animals of Pune, butterflies of Pune and trees and flowers of Pune. For water and shore, the lakes around Pune page lists Pashan, Khadakwasla and Mulshi together.
FAQ
What is the state bird of Maharashtra?
The yellow-footed green pigeon, called hariyal in Marathi. In Pune it is seen most often in the Empress Botanical Garden.
Where is the best birdwatching in Pune?
Pashan Lake, with well over two hundred species recorded, then Vetal Tekdi, the Empress Botanical Garden and Khadakwasla Dam.
When do migratory birds come to Pune?
From roughly November to February, when ducks and waders such as pintails, garganeys and sandpipers winter at Pashan Lake.
What are common birds of Pune?
Among those India GO lists are the yellow-footed green pigeon, Indian grey hornbill, Indian roller, painted stork, northern pintail and Indian pond heron; walkers on Vetal Tekdi also see peafowl and bee-eaters.
Is Pashan Lake free to visit?
Yes, there is no entry fee. There are also no facilities, so bring water and binoculars.
Sources (2)
Facts checked: 15 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.
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