Khanchali Managed Reserve

Where is Khanchali Lake Managed Reserve?

The Khanchali Lake Managed Reserve is located within Javakheti Protected Areas in southern Georgia. Around the lake are several districts of Ninotsminda town as well as the villages of Didi Khanchali and Patara Khanchali.

The three-kilometre-long road to the lake starts in Patara Khanchali.

Sport fishing, as well as amateur fishing, are allowed in the lake here, so it is also a popular destination for lovers of silence and rods.

What Species of Birds will You Find There?

Out of all of Javakheti’s mountain lakes, Khanchali Lake has the shallowest water. It is a freshwater lake, with many aquatic plants in and around it. These plants attract numerous birds during the warm parts of the year. Different species of birds use the lake as a stop during their migration or as a nesting site. 

Some of the ninety-one bird species catalogued at the lake are endangered species on the IUCN Red List. Common cranes (Grus grus), gray herons (Ardea cinerea), white storks (Ciconia Ciconia), great white pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus), Dalmatian pelicans (P. crispus), and velvet scoters (Melanitta fusca) are just a few of the bird species to make their nests at the lake.

Khanchali Lake is a true bird watcher’s paradise.