A rare White Stork has been spotted at Delhi’s Okhla Bird Sanctuary for the first time in about two decades, drawing birdwatchers, photographers and ornithologists to the wetland during the winter migration season.
The bird, identified as Ciconia ciconia, was first seen by birder Dr Tejaswi on November 1 and remained at the sanctuary for three days, according to a report by the Times of India. The sighting has attracted sustained interest from Delhi-NCR’s birdwatching community because White Storks are highly uncommon in the region.
The Central Asian species breeds in Uzbekistan and southern Kazakhstan before migrating south in winter across areas ranging from Iran to the Indian subcontinent. The report said the isolated population has a global population of under 2,000, making the appearance at Okhla particularly significant for local observers.
White Stork sightings have been recorded only occasionally across Delhi-NCR over the past three decades. Earlier records cited in the report include sightings at Okhla in March 1992 and February 2005, at Palwal in 2004-05 and at Jewar in March 2019.
Naturalist and wildlife photographer Nikhil Devasar described the sighting as a memorable moment for Delhi’s birdwatchers. “It is always humbling when the avian world reminds us of its boundless capacity to surprise. To encounter a White Stork right here in our backyard after so many years is a phenomenal treat,” he said.
Devasar added that such encounters underline the value of field observation for people interested in India’s birdlife. The bird’s presence at a wetland within the National Capital Region also brought attention to the role of urban natural areas in supporting migratory species.
The sighting comes as winter migration gathers pace, with the Okhla sanctuary forming part of the wider ecological setting of the Yamuna floodplains. These floodplain habitats are connected to the movement of migratory and rare bird species, making the condition and protection of wetlands important to the region’s birding and wildlife communities.
Birder Rohit Sharma said the rapid spread of news among birdwatchers reflected the rarity of the visitor. “Storks of this stature are not something you come across every day in Delhi,” he said, adding that the bird’s peaceful foraging at the sanctuary highlighted the ecological significance of the Yamuna basin.
For Delhi’s birdwatchers, the White Stork’s arrival is both a rare wildlife event and a reminder that wetlands on the capital’s urban edge continue to support species travelling along the Central Asian Flyway. The birding community is now tracking the sanctuary for further sightings as the winter migration season progresses.
