Coastal preserve
Sundarbans
Bangladesh, India
The world's largest mangrove forest spreads across the delta of three great rivers, home to Bengal tigers and some 290 species of birds.
Forest of the tides
The Sundarbans cover about 10,000 km² of tidal waterways, mudflats and mangrove islands where the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers meet the Bay of Bengal. The name is often linked to the sundari, the dominant mangrove tree.
Why it matters for birds
Around 290 bird species have been recorded. Mangroves, mudflats and channels support kingfishers, herons, egrets, storks and raptors. The coastal mudflats also serve wintering shorebirds. The mangroves are nurseries for fish and crustaceans, which feed much of this wildlife.
Under threat
Cyclones, such as Cyclone Sidr in 2007, cause heavy damage. Rising seas and reduced freshwater flow are making the forest saltier. The Indian Sundarbans were assessed as endangered as an ecosystem in 2020.
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