The Nalabana Wildlife Sanctuary is the core area of the Ramsar designated Wetlands of the Chilika Lake and Wildlife sanctuary, located in the state of Odisha. Many of the Chilika Tour Packages do offer a tour of the whole of the lagoon and its beautiful wildlife sanctuary. The word “Nalabana” means weed-covered Island in Odia. This Island was declared a sanctuary under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. The islands attract various majorly important species of birds and are thus a paradise for a Bird Watcher. The huge biodiversity found in Chilika Lake and its surrounding islands makes it a must-visit site, apart from all the places to visit in chilika city itself.

A glimpse of wildlife:

Situated at a distance of 127 kilometers from the main city of Bhubaneshwar, the Nalabana Wildlife Sanctuary is definitely worth it. This particular Island is in the center of the Chilika lake, covering an area of 15.53 km2. During the time of monsoons in India, this Island becomes completely submerged in the lake water. The water levels start decreasing because the monsoon slowly recedes with the coming of the winter. This is the time when the Island gets a lot of winged visitors indeed. Many kinds of birds start crowding the Island to feed on its rich mudflats. 

Some of the birds that one can largely spot on this Island are:

Flocks of Greater Flamingos from Iran and the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, Goliath Herons, Grey Herons, Purple Herons, Egrets, Spoonbills, Black-headed Ibis, etc.

Some of the rare species of birds that one can often spot here are:

Pallas Fish Eagles, Spot Billed Pelican, Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Asiatic Dowitchers, Dalmatian Pelicans, etc. All of these either come under the Vulnerable Species tag, the Near-threatened Species tag, or the IUCN Critically Endangered tag.

Migratory birds start arriving in the Chilika lake, majorly into the Nalabana Wildlife Sanctuary and the Mangalajodi Island around the month of November from their natural habitats like Siberia, China, Japan, and many other countries in the Northern Hemisphere.