Biodiversity of Bihar

Cataloguing Bihar's other natural habitats — rock outcrops, river islands, riparian fringes and grasslands. Content and images coming soon.

Rock Outcrops

Rock Outcrops

Exposed rocky terrain such as the Rajgir hills in Nalanda district and the Kaimur escarpment presents a rugged landscape distinct from Bihar's alluvial plains. These outcrops support drought-hardy scrub vegetation and provide nesting sites for raptors and other cliff-dwelling birds.

Rajgir hills (Nalanda), Kaimur escarpment

River Island (Diyaras)

River Island (Diyaras)

Diyaras are alluvial islands and floodplain tracts that form within the channels of the Ganga, Gandak and Kosi as they shift course. Seasonally flooded and re-formed each year, these islands are farmed for vegetables and fodder crops and host distinctive riverine wildlife.

Within the shifting channels of the Ganga, Gandak and Kosi

Riparian Fringes

Riparian Fringes

The vegetated strips lining Bihar's riverbanks stabilise soil against erosion and filter agricultural runoff before it reaches the water. These fringes, found along the Ganga and its tributaries statewide, are important corridors for birds and small mammals moving between habitats.

Along the Ganga and its tributaries, statewide

Grasslands

Grasslands

Open grasslands within the Valmiki Tiger Reserve and along river floodplains provide grazing habitat for herbivores such as hog deer and gaur. These grass-dominated patches, distinct from surrounding forest and farmland, are increasingly recognised for their role in supporting Bihar's wildlife.

Valmiki Tiger Reserve and river floodplains

Other Wilderness

Other Wilderness

Scattered scrubland, degraded forest fringes and uncultivated wasteland across Bihar fall outside formally classified habitats but still support hardy grasses, shrubs and small wildlife. These patches often serve as buffer zones between farmland and more intact natural habitats.

Scattered statewide, at the margins of forest and farmland