In 1982, HarikePattan was officially declared a bird sanctuary. In 1992 It has been identified as one of the sites for conservation under the Indian National Wetland Programme. HarikePattan is today a vital staging post and winter home to waterfowl, including some globally threatened species. Spread over 93 square miles, Harike wetland in Punjab's TaranTaran District is the second largest bird sanctuary of India. It's home to rare varieties of avifauna arriving here from different parts of Europe and northern Asia for stay during a major part of the year. Throughout the year, autumn, spring and winter, HarikePattan becomes a refuge to over 361 species of birds, 140 of who believed to breed here. Some of the birds that can be spotted are the Cotton Pygmy Goose, Tifted Duck, Yellow crowned Woodpecker, Yellow eyed Pigeon, Watercock, Pallas's Gull, Brown headed Gull , Black headed Gull, Yellow legged Gull, Indian Skimmer, White winged Tern, White rumped Vulture, Hen Harrier, Eurasian Sparrow hawk, Eurasian Hobby, Horned Grebe, Black necked Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, White browed Fantail, Brown Shrike, Common Wood shrike, White tailed Stonechat, White crowned Penduline Tit, Rufous vented Prinia, Striated Grass bird, Cetti's Bush Warbler , the Sulphur bellied Warbler and Diving duck etc . The sanctuary is home to the endangered Testudine Turtle and Smooth Indian Otter listed in the IUCN ( The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) Red list of Threatened Animals. Harike is also well known for its market for sweet water fish. The sanctuary came into existence with the construction of a barrage at the confluence of the river Beas and Satluj for water storage and providing irrigation and drinking water.

Wildlife

Flora
Amaltas, Bel, Bahera, Drek, Chitta siris, Elephant Grass, Water Hyacinth, Khair, Kala Siris, Nara, Khajoor, Gandhela, Puthkanda, etc.
Fauna
Avifauna in the area include the White-winged Tern, Yellow-eyed Pigeon, Hen Harrier, Pallas's Gull, Tufted Duck, Cotton Pygmy Goose, Yellow-crowned Woodpecker, Brown-headed Gull, Watercock, Great Crested Grebe, Black-headed Gull, White-browed Fantail, Yellow-legged Gull, White-rumped Vulture, Indian Skimmer, Eurasian Sparrow hawk, Horned Grebe, Eurasian Hobby, Black-necked Grebe, Common Wood shrike, Brown Shrike, White-tailed Stonechat, Rufous-vented Prinia, White-crowned Penduline Tit, Striated Grass bird, Sulphur-bellied Warbler and the Cetti's Bush Warbler. Animals dominantly seen in the sanctuary are Jungle cat, Indian wild Boar, Mongoose, Smooth Indian Otter and Jackal.

Best Time To Visit

The best time to visit the Harike Wildlife Sanctuary is during the winter months. This is when the area is visited by several migratory birds and the weather is also enjoyable. Summer and monsoon months are not recommended for visiting the sanctuary because of the extreme hot weather during the summers and the heavy rainfall in the monsoon season.

• Assorted Cheeses and crackers
• Jumbo shrimp with Bloody Mary Cocktail Sauce
• Artichoke Heart Dip with Garlic Crostini
• Vegetable Crudite
• 'Bone Appetite' Baby Back Ribs
• Honey Ginger Glazed Chicken
• Weeping Maui Onion Tartlets
• Dark triple chocolate Brownies
• White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
• Fresh Kona Coffee