Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary

Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is a must-visit tourist destination if you are planning to travel to Rajasthan. The Keoladeo Ghana National Park or - as many people prefer to call it - the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary lies between two of India's most historic cities, Agra and Jaipur. This north Indian sanctuary is situated in the country's northwestern state of Rajasthan is a must-visit during Rajasthan travel.

This spectacular bird sanctuary is historical in its own way. The Maharaja of Bharatpur is credited for its creation in 1890, though conservation was the last thing on his mind. The government banned the indiscriminate shooting of birds in 1965. Conservation efforts originally started by Dr. Salim Ali received a further impetus when the area was deemed a national park in March 1982. In 1985, Bharatpur was accepted as a World Heritage Site.

Bharatpur hosts a variety of bird species from across the globe. Close to 380 species of birds are found in this 29 sq km stretch, approximately 10 sq km of which comprises of marshes and bogs. Rest of the area comprises of scrublands, grasslands and more than 44,000 trees that are used for nesting by birds each year.

Ornithologists' delight

Tourists planning to travel to Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary can spot more than 377 species, making it one of the most inviting destinations in the world for ornithologists, amateurs and nature lovers. Various species of indigenous water birds, waterside birds, migratory water birds, land migratory birds, and domestic land species are found here. There are approximately 56 different families of birds, of which the Passeriformes (156 species) and Charadriformes (56 species) dominate. One-third of birds at Bharatpur are migrants, many of whom spend their winters before returning to their breeding grounds in the Arctic and Central Asia.

The bird most popular among tourists and ornithologists is the Siberian crane. According to field experts, this bird is known to travel distances of up to 6,500 km migrating from the Ob River basin region (Aral mountains, Siberia). Conservationists are working hard to protect the Siberian crane species as they are on the verge of extinction. Apart from Feredunkenar in Iran, Bharatpur Sanctuary is the only place where the Siberian crane migrates. The cranes arrive in December and stay until early March. According to ornithologists, unlike its Indian counterpart the Siberian crane feeds on Cypress Rotents grass (an underground aquatic root). The intriguing fact is that Siberian cranes have a mixed diet of vegetation, fish and other small creatures back home, but they adopt a vegetarian diet during their stay in India.

Other 'guests' at Bharatpur include huge birds like Dalmatian pelicans, which are two meters in length, and minute ones like the Siberian leaf warbler, which is merely the size of our index finger! Several other species of cranes-corcomorants, egrets, darters, herons, storks, geese, ducks, eagles, hawks, shanks, stints, wagtails, wheatears, flycatchers, buntings, larks, spoonbills, kingfishers, owls and pipits-also make Bharatpur their temporary abode.

Bharatpur heronry is one of its kind and bustles with zealous activity. The production of chicks during the breeding season is put at about 30,000. This avian kingdom also hosts mammalian species like nilgai, sambhar, chital, black bucks, jungle cat and the wild boar. The large rock python (which is spotted at Python Point beyond Keoladeo temple) as well as its nemesis, the mongoose, are found in appreciable numbers.

The mode of transport for getting around the sanctuary is a bicycle. Cycle-rickshaws may also be hired. Boats are available for hire from the ticket checkpoint. Boating is an excellent idea for getting around the Keoladeo Lake and observing the birds at close quarters while on vacation in Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary.

Reaching there

Bharatpur is on the Agra-Jaipur highway, just a two-hour journey by bus from Agra (55 km) and an hour from Fatehpur Sikri. The nearest rail junction is Bharatpur, which is well connected to Delhi, Bombay, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and many other parts of India. Private as well as state transport buses link Bharatpur with other parts of Rajasthan.

Accommodation

Most tourists plan their travel to Bharatpur only for a short stay. However, there is good accommodation available at the Bharatpur Forest Lodge, Forest Guesthouse and Saras Tourist Bungalow. All the three have multi-cuisine restaurants. Accommodation is also available for tourists on Bharatpur travels at the Circuit House, Hotel Golbagh Palace, Shanti Kutir and the Tourist Lodge near the sanctuary's Mathura gate.