Pilibhit Tiger Reserve is home of about over 375 species of resident and migratory birds, many of them are very rare and endangered. The great diversity of habitat in Pilibhit TR is depicted in its revealing diversity in the bird life. The rich bird life in Pilibhit includes species like Jerdon’s Bush Chat, West Himalayan Bush Warbler, Swamp Francolin, Great Hornbill, Bengal Florican, Black Francolin, Red Junglefowl, Asian Openbill, Adjutant Stork, Black-necked Stork, Bittern, Nightjar, Ibis, Emerald Dove, Alexandrine Parakeet, Tawny Fish Owl , Minivet, Golden Oriole, Indian Pitta, Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch, Bushchat, Stonechat, Flycatcher and Red Avadavat.
An astonishing count of over 20-30 birds of prey include the Common Buzzard, Steppe Eagle, Red-necked Falcon, Pied Harrier, Merlin and Pallas’ Fish Eagle to name a few, providing a remarkable character to the avifauna. This inborn profuseness in bird life increases even further during winter with the arrival of horde migrants – some, like osprey and ducks, coming all the way from Europe, Central Asia, Russia and Alaska along with many Himalayan birds from lofty regions who come to take refuge in Pilibhit TR to alleviation the extreme conditions in the mountains above. These include many great barbet, woodpeckers, wagtail and the flycatchers. Sharda Sagar Dam is a place where you look out for many migratory water birds.
You can usually see this bird species here…..Flycatchers, Chat , Thrush, Bush Chat, Stone Chat, Robin, White Capped Water Redstart , Black Redstart , Oriental Magpie Robin, Indian Robin, Bluethroat , Brahminy Starling , Common Starling , Myna, Nuthatch, Oriental White Eye, Yellow-eyed Babbler, Babbler, Warbler, Tailor Bird, Prinia, Bulbul, Crested Lark, Skylark, Sparrow Lark , Swallow, Martin, Tit, Golden Oriole, Racket-tailed Drongo, , Shrike, Minivet, Iora, Cuckoo shrike, Indian Pitta, Lesser Goldenback Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Pygmy Woodpecker, Rufous Woodpeckers, Coppersmith Barbet, Brown-headed Barbet, Great Hornbill, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Pied Kingfisher, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Common Hoopoe, Indian Roller, Eurasion Roller, Swift, Nightjar, Tawny Fish owl, Brown Fish Owl, Owlet, Coucal, Malkoha, Cuckoo, Parakeet, Green Pigeon, Emerald Dove, Oriental Turtle Dove, Tern, Gull, Pranticole, Sandpiper, Snipe, Plover, Lapwing, Sarus Crane, Moorhen, Swamphen, Rail, Swamp Francolin, Black Francolin, Quil, Red Junglefowl, Indian Peafowl, Whistling Duck, Greylag Goose, Ruddy Shelduk, Cotton Pygmy Goose, Mallard, Pintail, Teal, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Grebe, Asian Openbill, Woolly-necked Stork, Adjutant Stork, Black-necked Stork, Ibis, Bittern, Night Heron, Purple Heron, Egret, Darter, Cormorant, Falconet, Red-necked Falcon, Osprey, Pallas’s Fish Eagle, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Vulture, Crested Serpent Eagle, Shikra, Sparrow hawk, White-eye Buzzard, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Steppe Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Spotted Eagle.