Khijadiya - Amitabh Bachchan Birding

Amitabh Bachchan, at Khijadiya Jamnagar
Gujarat : Land of Migratory Birds

3.5 Lakh birds in Jamnagar district

A bird population counting project in Jamnagar district lasted 3 days covering 150 sites across Jamnagar district. The project was undertook by district forest division and included ornithologists, forest staff, photographers, nature club members etc.

80,000 birds were estimated in Khijadiya alone. Lakhota lake (Ranmal lake) registered around 25,000 birds. Major species included Seagull, Rosy pastor, spot bill duck, pelican etc.

Common cranes were birds with highest population, common crane visit Jamnagar in winter.

International Bird Watcher Conference

Jamnagar is gearing for International Bird Watcher's Conference.

Starting 25th Nov. Jamnagar administration is organising many events for the conference,

Two new bird watching tower are now ready for the bird watchers, Khijadiya - a 600 Acre wetland near the salty plains serves around 250 species of migratory birds, this wetland has speciality of salt and fresh water reservoirs. Gujarat Tourism Department has organised this conference to attract visitors across the globe.

More then 700 visitors will be participating in the conference, around 100 visitors around the world and around 450 national bird watching enthusiast from across the India will be travelling Jamnagar.

Hotels in city and highway are booked by administration, exhibition schedules and information will be presented in three languages, 100 different sign boards in various languages are also prepared, translation facilities will also be made available.

Schedule of the events are as follows

25Th Nov:

Inauguration by Chief Minister Mr. Narendra Modi
Film Show
3 - 4: Group Discussion
4.30 - 7.30: Bird Watching
7.30: Group Discussion

26th Nov:

6.30 - 9.30: Group Discussion
10 - 12.30: Information exchange
1:30 - 2:30: Information on major bird species.
Bird Viewing

27th Nov:
Pirotan Excursion

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All major roads of Jamnagar city are patched and cleaned in view of the conference (and CM's presence), Town hall is upgraded with estimate cost of 2.5L , looking at activities of the Gujarat Tourism Board, Khijadiya and Pirotan will be developed as a major places of travel within Gujarat.

Khijadiya Bird Sanctury : Eco Tourism in Village

You need not be an University Graduate to save the planet, every little thinking helps the planet to survive.
Banking on Eco Tourism villagers around Khijadiya Bird Sanctury vowed to protect the environment and the area nearby, and Forest department is helping them to do so.

Khijadiya is known for its best wetland reservoir and heaven for migratory birds coming from Arabian sea, in Winter and early summer thousands of birds flock to this place, this is the fist resting place / wetland for birds coming from Arabian sea / Africa. This wetland with a marine national park nearby makes it best sight seeing place in Gujarat for Eco tourists.

Villagers near the Khijadia used to cut wild babool for their daily fuel needs, now solar cooker provided from the Gujarat State Forest Department is giving new life to Khijadia villagers and also to birds,

A World Bank-funded Eco-development project helps 10 villages in Jamnagar to provide solar cookers, bio gas and other vocational courses on automobiles, sewing etc. each village will receive sum of 8 lakh. village selected in first phase of the implementation are Khijadia, Jodia, Okunala, Balachai, Sachana, Khara Biraja, Parodia, Simani, Samna and Poshitra. Phase 2 will implement similiar project in Navlakhi (Kutch) and Okha (Jamnagar), after phase 2 total 97 villages will be covered under the scheme.

Khijadia bird sanctury has many birds like

• black ibis
• black-winged kite
• brahminy kite
• pheasant-tailed jacana
• great thick-knee
• common greenshank
• grey francolin
• imperial eagle
• Indian pond heron
• little tern
• black-tailed godwit
• comb duck
• common crane
• common teal
• dunlin
• garganey
• marsh harrier
• northern pintail
• shoveler
• Eurasian wigeon
• pale harrier
• demoiselle crane
• sanderling
• darters

Forest Department is looking forward to preserve the bio-diversity by adding more natural life style to nearby villages in the forest range.

Uttarayan Kites : Lakhota Birds Protection

Jamnagar City and neadr by place like Khijadiya has been a paradise for Bird watchers in Winter.


While the life in Khijadiya may be cool for birds but in Jamnagar town it becomes deadly in the festival of Uttarayan.

Earlier Jamnagar had very few kites in days of Makarsankranti, now a days with vacation and trends from Ahmedabad/Mumbai, Jamnagar is flying high on Uttarayan with sky full of Kites.

Jamnagar citizens who had started kite flying in Uttarayan recently, are now taught a few lessons of bird care by Jamnagar Municipal Corporation (JMC).

Jamnagar Municipal Corporation (JMC) has banned the kite flying in early morning and also in the late evening. This is peek time for a bird to fly to the nest. Jamnagar has pioneered herself to be the first city to have such rule.

Several bird lovers will be patrolling the Jamnagar Lakhota Lake area, this area has around 100 species of birds, all injured birds will be given immediate treatment.

A bird lover also requested Jamnagar citizens no to feed or throw away Ganthiyas near bird areas, he appealed that oily food like Ganthiyas are not at all good food for birds. Few nature lovers will be doing a educational drive for the same as well.

Nabbed : Highway Robbers near Khijadiya

Six robbers were caught whuke attempting a highway robbery at Khijadiya bypass near Jamnagar.

The robbers used to stop vehicles on highway and then carry out the robbery. The gang leader gave police the slip and fled away.

It was reveled during interrogation that robbers stole bikes from Rajkot and sold to get some cash. The gang leader also stole mahindra bolero, Tata Indica car from Dwarka

Police recovered items worth Rs 2.5 lakh, including cellphones, cash, a Mahindra Bolero, many sharp-edged weapons.

Hall of Shame for JMC

JMC recently decided to increase the city limits to 101 KM from existing 68 KM, JMC thought of adding few nearby small villages around Jamnagar to increase the area , ofcourse this is backed by lobby of builders who wanted to grab lucrative land and get costly benefits from it..

However JMC hit a little snag when around 6,000 villagers gathered near Lal Bunglow to oppose the move.
Sarpanch's from villages like Dhuvav, Vibhapar, nawa-Nagna, Juna-Nagna, Khimaliya, Theba, Dared, Khimrana, Khijadiya, KanSumra, Naghedi, Morkanda, Dhinchda, hapa, Gordhanpar and chela came together and submitted letter to RDC.