Two Man-Made Lakes in Bihar Now Host 18,000+ Migratory Birds

Every winter, thousands of birds leave the frozen landscapes of Russia, Central Asia, and the Arctic Circle to travel distances most of us will never cross in a lifetime, and many of them end their journey at two man-made lakes in Bihar.

Nagi and Nakti reservoirs in Jamui district weren't designed for wildlife. Engineers built them decades ago to irrigate farmland in the Jhajha forest range, simple structures meant to help farmers grow crops.

But somewhere along the way, these human-made wetlands became something more. Bar-headed geese started appearing on the water each winter, joined by red-crested pochards, greylag geese, and northern pintails arriving from thousands of miles away.

Year after year, they kept coming back. In June 2024, India recognized what the birds already knew by designating Nagi and Nakti as Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention, making them the country's 81st and 82nd protected Ramsar sites.

The 2023 Asiatic Waterbird Census revealed just how important these wetlands have become. Surveyors counted 7,844 birds at Nakti alone, the highest number recorded at any wetland in Bihar that year, while Nagi recorded another 6,938 birds.

Across all of Jamui district, researchers documented 18,480 birds representing 87 different species. That gave Jamui the highest bird count among all Bihar districts during the survey.

The landscape surrounding these reservoirs looks ordinary to most eyes: agricultural fields, rocky hills, and patches of dry forest. But this patchwork provides exactly what exhausted migratory birds need after crossing countries: water, food, and safe habitat during the colder months.

The Ripple Effect

What happens at these wetlands matters far beyond Bihar's borders. When a bar-headed goose lands on Nakti's water after flying from northern China, it's completing just one leg of a journey it will repeat its entire life.

These birds don't recognize national boundaries. Their survival depends on a chain of healthy stopover sites stretching across multiple countries, and Nagi and Nakti have become essential links in that chain.

The recent census identified threats including pollution, overfishing, and agricultural expansion. Protecting these wetlands means protecting pathways that connect the Arctic Circle to India, ensuring that birds traveling unimaginable distances have somewhere safe to land.

Every winter visitor arriving at Nagi and Nakti proves that sometimes the places we build for ourselves can become lifelines for those who need them most.