Sailana Kharmour Sanctuary

Sailana Kharmour Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary near Sailana town in Ratlam district, Madhya Pradesh, on the Malwa Plateau. Notified in 1983 and covering about 13 sq km of grassland, it was established to protect the endangered Lesser Florican, locally called Kharmour. It is one of the few sanctuaries in India dedicated to this species and also supports diverse grassland birds, reptiles and flora, notable for birdwatching and grassland conservation.

Visitors can expect open grassland plains interspersed with scattered shrubs and agricultural edges on the Malwa Plateau. The sanctuary is known for sightings of the Lesser Florican, especially males performing jumping displays during the monsoon breeding season, along with other grassland birds, raptors and reptiles. Facilities are basic with watchtowers and tracks for birdwatching, photography and nature walks in a quiet, rural setting near Sailana town.

Notified in 1983 by the Government of Madhya Pradesh to protect the endangered Lesser Florican (Sypheotides indicus), locally called Kharmour. The grasslands were formerly part of the princely state of Sailana and were subsequently managed as a dedicated sanctuary for grassland conservation.

The sanctuary is locally significant for conservation of the Kharmour (Lesser Florican), an iconic grassland bird of the Malwa region, and represents efforts to preserve traditional grassland habitats of central India.