Government of West Bengal
Directorate of Forests
Wildlife Wing
The Chintamain Kar Bird Sanctuary lies in pristine splendor in South 24-Parganas district of West Bengal just minutes away from the bustling Kolkata metropolis. Originally notified as a sanctuary in 1982, this 'Abhay Aranya' was acquired for the benefit of the public by Govt. of West Bengal at a significant cost from private owners in October 2005. The area was notified as Narendrapur Wildlife Sanctuary vide G O No.3019-FOR dated 8th September 2004 and later renamed as Chintamani Kar Bird Sanctuary vide G.O No.4300-FOR/FR/O/L/6C-3/04 dated 21.10.2005.
The Sanctuary was named after the noted sculpture Sri Chintamoni Kar, who along with many local people and many NGO's fought tirelessly for a decades to obtain wildlife sanctuary status for 'Kayaler Bagan'.
Chintamoni Kar Bird Sanctuary is an orchard covered with local fruit trees-many over a hundred years old. The orchard originally covered 27 acres but had shrunk to 17 acres by the time it was acquired. Main trees are mango, Jackfruit, Coconut, Tamarind, Guava, Dumur, Safeda, Chatun etc.
The Sanctuary is a home to a great variety of birds, butterflies, epiphytes, ferns and orchids. Reptiles and mammals also seek the security provided by the Sanctuary in the mists of urban chaos. Key bird species include the recent recording of the Large-billed Reed Warbler-a bird rediscovered in India after more than a century. In addition, sanctuary is also the home of some small wildlife namely jungle cat, Civet cat, Water monitor Lizard, Jackal and the mongoose.
Over 150 species of birds have been recorded at the Sanctuary. The commonly seen species are as under :
| Common name | Scientific name | Common name | Scientific name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker | Dendrocopos macei | House Crow | Corvus splendens |
| Rufous Woodpecker | Celeus brachyurus | Large-billed Crow | Corvus macrorhynchos |
| Streak-throated Woodpecker | Picus xanthopygaeus | Ashy Woodswallow | Artamus fuscus |
| Black-rumped Flameback | Dinopium benghalense | Eurasian Golden Oriole | Oriolus oriolus |
| Greater Flameback | Chrysocolaptes lucidus | White-hooded Oriole | Oriolus xanthornus |
| Lineated Barbet | Megalaima lineata | White-throated Fantail | Rhipidura albicollis |
| Blue-throated barbet | Megalaima asiatica | Black Drongo | Dicrurus macrocercus |
| Coppersmith Barbet | Megalaima haemacephala | Ashy Drongo | Dicrurus leucophaeus |
| Common Hoopoe | Upupa epops | Bronzed Drongo | Dicrurus aeneus |
| Common Kingfisher | Alcedo atthis | Black-naped Monarch | Hypothymis azurea |
| Stork-billed Kingfisher | Halcyon capensis | Asian Paradise-flycatcher | Terpsiphone paradisi |
| White-throated Kingfisher | Halcyon smyrnensis | Common Iora | Aegithina tiphia |
| Green Bee-eater | Merops orientalis | Orange-headed Thrush | Zoothera citrina |
| Common Hawk Cuckoo | Hierococcyx varius | Red-throated Flycatcher | Ficedula parva |
| Asian Koel | Eudynamys scolopaceo | Oriental Magpie Robin | Copsychus saularis |
| Greater Coucal | Centropus sinensis | Chestnut-tailed Starling | Sturnus malabaricus |
| Rose-ringed Parakeet | Psittacula krameri | Asian Pied Starling | Sturnus contra |
| Asian palm Swift | Cypsiurus balasiensis | Common Myna | Acridotheres tristis |
| Brown Fish Owl | Ketupa zeylonensis | Jungle Myna | Acridotheres fuscus |
| Spotted Owlet | Athene brama | Great Tit | Parus major |
| Large-tailed Nightjar | Caprimulgus macrurus | Red-whiskered Bulbul | Pycnonotus jocosus |
| Rock Pigeon | Columba livia | Red-vented Bulbul | Pycnonotuscafer |
| Spotted Dove | Streptopelia chinesis | Plain Prinia | Prinia inornata |
| Emerald Dove | Chalcophaps indica | Oriental White-eye | Zosterops palpebrosus |
| White-breasted Whitehen | Amaurornis phoenicurus | Blyths Reed Warbler | Acrocephalus dumetorum |
| Black Kite | Milvus migrans | Common Tailorbird | Orthotomus sutorius |
| Crested Serpent Eagle | Spilornis cheela | Jungle Babbler | Turdoides striatus |
| Shikra | Accipiter badius | Pale-billed Flowerpecker | Dicaeum erythrorynchos |
| Little Cormorant | Phalacocorax niger | Purple-rumped Sunbird | Nectarinia zeylonica |
| Little Egret | Egretta garzetta | Purple Sunbird | Nectarinia asiatieca |
| Cattle Egret | Bubulcus ibis | House Sparrow | Passer domesticus |
| Indian Pond Heron | Ardeola grayii | Forest Wagtail | Dendronanthus indicus |
| Asian Openbill | Anastomus oscitans | White Wagtail | Motacilla alba personanta |
| Brown Shrike | Lanius cristatus | Baya Weaver | Ploceus philippinus |
| Rufous Treepie | Dendrocitta vagabunda | Scaly-breasted Munia | Lonchura punchtulata |
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Fees, Permissions and Timings
Fees: As applicable & notified from time to time.Permissions need to be taken from the office of DFO 24 parganas (South) or from the entry gate.
Timings: The Sanctuary remains open for all visitors between 7-00 a.m. to 5-00 p.m. throughout the year.
Do's and Don'ts
1. Do not litter or carry plastic inside the area.
2. Do observe silence. Carrying or playing transistors or loud musical equipment inside the sanctuary is prohibited.
3. Do not us the sanctuary as a picnic spot-it has been created to preserve and observe Nature.
4. Do keep to the trails. It is unsafe to move into the overgrown areas.
5. Do keep your mobile phones in 'Silent mode' when inside the Sanctuary.
6. In no way disturb the birds or other wildlife by any act which include approaching near the nests, chasing birds for photography etc.
How to reach
The Sanctuary is located to the west of Netaji Subhas Road connecting Garia with Baruipur in the Rajpur area in southern Kolkata. Locally known as 'Kayaler Bagan', the Sanctuary is about 1km south of the famous Ramkrishna Mission Institute, Narendrapur. The Sanctuary gate is a short walk (150 meters) from the Rathtala bus stop. If you are driving to the Sanctuary, the best route to take is the EM Bypass. The distance from Ruby General Hospital is about 10km. Buses and auto-rickshaws are also available from Garia. Private bus's on route 80, 80A & 80B and Mini Bus# 113 stop at Rathtala.
