Fauna in Gujarat

Gujarat is very rich in animal life. The forest areas of the Gir in Saurashtra, Panchmahals and Dangs have herds of gazelles, black buck and spotted deer. The Asiatic lion is now localised in the Gir forest, which has also smaller mammals including langurs and blue bulls. Gujarat having an extensive coastline, perennial rivers and lakes and ponds are rich in a variety of fish. Besides Asiatic lion, tiger, panther, cheetah, wolf, jackal, fox, Civet, greyish langur, rabbit and porcupine are also found in the forest areas of the state. The wild ass is a distinctive species found only in Gujarat, in the Rann of Kutch. The thick forests of Dang, which receive maximum rains and have abundant greenery, are the home of beautiful birds such as Trogon, hornbills, barbets, babblers, racket-tailed drongos and minivets. The Saras, pea-fowls, red-wattle lapwings, parakeets, babblers and mynas are mostly found in the plains. The extensive coastal regions of the state give shelter to various birds like plovers, stints, sand pipers, curlews, lesser flamingoes, terns and gulls. During the winter, flocks of migratory birds came to Gujarat from faraway countries, like the pied-crested cuckoo, rosy pelicans, white storks, Brahmany duck, demoiselle cranes, common cranes, ducks, coots, snipes, moorhens, curlews and stints. During monsoons, the great and the little Rann of Kutch, serve as breeding ground for flamingoes, pelicans and avocets. While drier areas of Kutch and north Gujarat serve as haunt to grey partridges, larks, white-ear bulbuls, finch larks and sand-grouses.