Gogabil is Bihar’s 15th Protected Area and also state’s first Community Reserve. The State Board for Wildlife, under the provision of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, amended in 2002, incorporated Gogabil as Community Reserve and Community Reserve on 2 August, 2019. Gogabil, Bagharbeel and Baldia chaur are important wetlands enlisted in the Important Bird Areas (IBA) of Asia.
It is a prototype of oxbow lake of about 1 to 5 km dimension with ample water content round the year. The water body and land area of Gogabil encompass 217 acres area of which 73.78 acres belong to the government while the rest is owned by the local community of Amdabad and Manihari blocks of Katihar district. The area is heavily flooded during monsoons every year with rains and spill over from Kankhar, Mahananda and Ganga rivers. The lake is rich in aquatic flora and fauna providing abundant food attracting migratory birds in the winters. The lake provides a habitat for about 130 species of birds of which about 30 are migratory. Globally, there are 13 bird ways of which 2, namely, Central Asian and South Asian bird ways traverse Bihar.
Gogabeel Lake is located 8 km away from Manihari block of Katihar district. This bird sanctuary has an arched lake (ox-bow lake), whose name is Gogabeel, this bird sanctuary was named after him. In 1990 AD, seeing the large number of birds coming here, it was declared as a bird sanctuary.
Its area is 217.99 acres. The four sides of this lake are as follows! In the east is Banangawa, in the west is Marua, (Bheediyahi), in the north is Neema, and in the south is Surapartal. The biggest thing about this lake is that about 300 types of birds reach here from Russia and other countries! The Red Rivals Greave, Portchard, Spotwheel, Teal, Coot, and Brahmani are the swan-heads.
In January, February, March, April, the tweet of birds makes the mind very happy! So many types and numbers of birds are rarely seen anywhere!