BIRDING SITES NEAR DASADA

Rann Riders is the ideal base to visit the bird-rich Nawa Talao lake, a number of seasonal wetlands near Dasada, the village lake of Dasada, the wetland near Patdi fort, Viramgam town lake and many reservoirs of Surendranagar district that offer good winter birding opportunities. Birds like rose-coloured starling and green pigeon are often seen at Dasada village.
In the monsoon months of July, August and September, lesser florican visits the grasslands of Surendranagar District to breed and the vegetation around the wetlands becomes the breeding area for painted storks, several species of resident ducks and other waterfowl. Lesser flamingo breeding colonies have been recorded and photographed in the Little Rann of Kutch during these months.

NALSAROVAR BIRD SANCTUARY

Rann Riders is 44 km from Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary. At 120 sq km, it is the largest wetland bird sanctuary in India and the only Ramsar Site in Gujarat. Renowned as one of the finest birding places, Nalsarover is a bird watcher’s paradise where over 200 types of birds inhabit this lake and come from as far as Siberia. Besides the extensive variety of birds seen in large flocks at the lake, and their predators like the marsh harrier and fishing eagles, visitors can also watch passerine birds at the neighbouring bushes, grasslands and fields. Saras cranes are a frequent sighting in the fields around Nalsarovar.