Bankapura Peacock Sanctuary

Bankapura Peacock Sanctuary is a protected bird sanctuary located inside the historic Bankapura Fort in Bankapura town, Haveri district, Karnataka. Spread over about 139 acres of scrub forest and fort moat area, it is one of India's few sanctuaries dedicated exclusively to Indian peafowl. Established to conserve the large wild peacock population that found refuge in the fort's overgrown premises, it is notable for frequent sightings of free-roaming peacocks and peahens in a heritage setting.

Visitors can expect a scrub forest and grassland habitat enclosed within the moat and ruined ramparts of Bankapura Fort. Free-roaming Indian peafowl, including peacocks, peahens and chicks, can be seen foraging, roosting on fort walls and displaying plumage, especially at dawn and dusk. The sanctuary has simple walking trails through thorny scrub and open ground, with views of the fort's bastions, moat and historic gateways. It is a quiet, natural setting focused on birdwatching and heritage sightseeing rather than developed tourist infrastructure.

The sanctuary is situated within Bankapura Fort, a historic fortification associated with successive rulers including Kadambas, Chalukyas, Hoysalas, Vijayanagara Empire, Adil Shahis and later Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. The fort's deep moat and ramparts became overgrown with scrub vegetation, creating a natural refuge for wild peafowl. The area was notified as a peacock sanctuary in the 1970s to protect the large resident peacock population.

The Indian peafowl is the national bird of India and holds cultural and religious reverence in Karnataka. The sanctuary represents conservation of this culturally significant species within a heritage fort landscape and demonstrates coexistence of wildlife and historic architecture.