Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary., Bird sanctuary on Chorão Island, Goa, India

Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is a protected area on Chorão Island in Goa, India, covering roughly 178 hectares (440 acres) of mangrove forest along the Mandovi River. The dense roots and waterways provide nesting spots for resident birds and resting places for migrating species from different regions.

The sanctuary is named after Salim Ali, the Indian ornithologist. It protects an estuarine mangrove habitat on the western tip of Chorão Island along the Mandovi River, covering 178 ha (440 acres) of low mangrove forest. The sources record no founding date or founding circumstances.

The name honors a naturalist who spent decades documenting India's birdlife and promoting conservation efforts across the country. Visitors today learn how mangrove forests support migrating species and why these wetlands play a key role in coastal ecosystems.

The sanctuary and Chorão Island are reached by ferry from Ribander across the Mandovi River. Inside, a paved walk runs between the mangroves of Rhizophora mucronata and Avicennia officinalis. The ground is estuarine mud, so footwear that can get wet and muddy is useful.

The crustacean Teleotanais indianis was described from specimens collected inside the sanctuary, a tanaidacean known from this mangrove mud. Look for mudskippers and fiddler crabs on the exposed mud at low tide, alongside the herons. The paved walk runs between Rhizophora mucronata and Avicennia officinalis.