BHARATPUR BIRD SANCTUARY
Just 176 km. from Delhi is a very special wilderness -the Keoladeo Ghana National
Park, one of the finest water-bird sanctuaries in the world. The 28.73 sq. km.
lake and wetland was artificially created by the Maharaja of Bharatpur in the
19th century. By building small dykes and dams and diverting water from an irrigation
canal, he converted this low lying area into a fine wild fowl shooting preserve.
In a few years, the new wetland surrounded by marginal forests was able to support
thousands of water birds. mmonly referred to as Bharatpur, the Park is a delight
for bird watchers. Over 300 species of birds are found here and raised paths,
camouflaged by babul trees and undergrowth make viewing easy. A quiet ride by
boat in the early hours of the morning is also an unforgettable experience.
There are mixed heronries on the half submerged babul trees and the cacophony
is unbelievable as painted storks, open bills, spoon bills, egrets, cormorants,
white ibis and multitudes of others, tend their young. Jacanas with their iridescent
colors and elegant tail feathers and purple moorhen can be seen delicately treading
over the floating vegetation. While harriers and fishing eagles circle overhead
in search of prey, the pied kingfisher hovers dramatically over the water in
a flurry of wings.
There are varieties of storks and cranes and the local sarus crane is elegant
in a livery of grey and red. Every year Bharatpur waits with coated breath for
the arrival of the Siberian cranes.
There are only two wintering places for this rare species -one in Iran and the
other Bharatpur and these beautiful birds with their distinctive red beaks and
facial patches, fly over 6400 km from
their
summer retreats in Siberia, to get to them. In 1996, there was great jubilation
as a couple of Siberian cranes with a young one made an appearance in Bharatpur
after a lapse of three years.
The forests around the lake at Bharatpur harbor the sambar, chital, nilgai,
jackal, hyena, fox, mongoose and porcupine. Occasionally, a fishing cat can
be seen scooping its prey also commonly seen sunning themselves along edge of
the paths or at Python Point.
General Information:
Best Time to Visit: Throughout the Year.
Nearest Town: Bharatpur (2 km)
How to Get Here:
Air: Agra (50 km)
Rail: Bharatpur (2 km)
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