Bakhira Sanctuary, Natural wetland sanctuary in Sant Kabir Nagar, India.

Bakhira Sanctuary is a 29 km² natural floodplain wetland in Sant Kabir Nagar district, eastern Uttar Pradesh, centred on a large lake fed by the Bakhira Canal. Open water is fringed by reed beds, and the sanctuary is bordered by more than a hundred villages within a 5 km radius.

The area was given official sanctuary status in 1980 after authorities recognized how many migratory birds depended on it each year. Before that, uncontrolled fishing and farming activity had put pressure on the wetland for decades.

The sanctuary takes its name from Bakhira village beside the lake, and 108 villages lie within 5 km of its waters. Residents depend on the wetland for fishing, farming and collecting fuelwood. The grey-headed swamphen, a purplish-blue bird with long red legs, breeds here and is locally called "Kaima".

The sanctuary is most easily reached from Gorakhpur by road, or by train to Khalilabad station and then continuing by local transport. October to March offers the most comfortable conditions for a visit, with cooler air and the full presence of migratory birds.

Although the area is officially a bird sanctuary, local fishing communities continue to work the same waters, living alongside the migratory flocks rather than being excluded from the land. This coexistence of traditional use and conservation is relatively uncommon in protected areas across India.