The 'Bird Village' of India: With over 100+ rare species, how Menar became a global model for conservation

How Rajasthan’s Menar Turned Into India’s Famous ‘Bird Village’

Every monsoon morning in Rajasthan’s Menar village begins with a chorus of chirps — the sound of homecoming. For decades, this sleepy hamlet near Udaipur has been a sanctuary for over 100 species of resident and migratory birds, including flamingos, pelicans, coots, and the endangered sarus crane.

But Menar’s true marvel isn’t just its biodiversity — it’s the people who made it possible.

Locals like Darshan Menaria, once a child who mistook every bird for a duck, are now proud Pakshi Mitras — “friends of birds.” Today, Darshan is both a college teacher and a conservationist, leading a generation that treats every bird visit like a sacred ritual.

From Resistance to Reverence

Menar’s love affair with its winged guests dates back nearly two centuries. Legend has it that in 1832, a British officer who shot a bird near the lake was promptly expelled by the villagers — a story that became folklore and the foundation of Menar’s unwritten conservation code.

That defiance turned into devotion. Over time, the people of Menar transformed their ponds — Brahm Talab, Dhand Talab, and Kheroda Talab — into thriving wetlands. Their efforts didn’t go unnoticed. Menar was officially recognised as Rajasthan’s first “Bird Village”, declared a Ramsar Site, and honoured as India’s Best Tourism Village 2023.

A Living Classroom for Conservation

In Darshan’s classroom, lessons often pause mid-sentence when a bird calls outside. “When a coppersmith barbet sings, I tell the children to listen,” he says. “Only when they see and recognise the birds themselves will they truly care.”

Here, conservation isn’t a subject — it’s a lifestyle. Religious rituals are performed by the lakeside to strengthen the human–nature bond. Fishing and summer farming have been voluntarily stopped to preserve nesting grounds.

Even water from the lakes is rarely drawn — the villagers prioritise the birds’ needs over their own.

Guardians of the Sky

The Pakshi Mitras, trained by Rajasthan’s Forest Department, patrol the wetlands at dawn and dusk with binoculars in hand. They log bird activity, track migration patterns, and raise alerts about threats — acting as both scientists and sentinels.

This local vigilance has helped protect not only the common waterfowl but also endangered and critically endangered species like the Indian skimmer, Egyptian vulture, and long-billed vulture.

A Model the World Can Learn From

Filmmaker Gunjan Menon, who chronicled Menar’s story in her award-winning documentary Wings of Hope, calls it “a story of authentic stewardship.” She says, “The people of Menar don’t conserve because they were told to — they conserve because it’s part of who they are.”

The film, which won the Audience Choice Award at Jackson Wild 2023, showcases how grassroots efforts can achieve what large-scale policies often cannot — harmony between humans and nature.

Lessons from Menar

Menar’s transformation proves that effective conservation doesn’t always require million-dollar budgets or state-of-the-art labs. Sometimes, it just takes collective will, patience, and respect for the ecosystem.

As the sun sets over Menar’s glimmering waters, the sight of flamingos painting the sky pink is more than a visual spectacle — it’s a reminder of what’s possible when people and planet thrive together.