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Keoladeo National park is one of the oldest national parks of India. Located in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, it’s home to more than 230 birds and becomes host to thousands in winter season when migrating guests arrive. It was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site only in 1985, but do you know it has a 250 years old history? Yes, you read that right. Moreover, it is a man-made wonder. Originally Bharatpur was a town that got flooded every monsoon, so to end this problem, the then Maharaja of Bharatpur ordered that an earthen dam be built and this construction led to the birth of Bharatpur sanctuary that we know today.
A lake came into the picture and a small dam was built to channel the water effectively thus irrigating vast drylands and converting them into thick dense forests and wetlands. It is these very wetlands which then became the best duck-hunting grounds for the Maharaja and the British Viceroys. In fact, hunting continued in Bharatpur bird sanctuary well after the independence even though it was declared as a sanctuary and the Maharaja only gave up hunting rights in 1972.
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is counted amongst the best birding locations in the world and birders from all around the globe visit this serene sanctum to spend time with our avian friends. The landscape and environment are way too beautiful and it captures your attention without even trying. Facilities like cycles and rickshaws make the exploration even more exciting especially when the rickshaw pullers double as naturalists and lead you straight to the prime bird-watching and nesting locations.
At times even 400 bird species are present in the park together. Keoladeo is host to the migratory waterfowls which travel thousands of kilometers from places as far as Siberia and Central Asia to spend winters here.
You can find these birds here: Herons, Storks, Cormorants, Warblers, Babblers, Bee-eaters, Bulbuls, Buntings, Chats, Painted Francolins and Quails, Indian grey Hornbill and Marshall’s Iora. Raptors like Osprey, Peregrine Falcon, Pallas’ Sea Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Imperial Eagle, Spotted Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, and even the Greater Spotted Eagle are found.
Waterfowl present include Gadwall, Shoveller, Common Teal, Cotton Teal, Tufted Duck, Knob-billed Duck, Little Cormorant, Great Cormorant, Indian Shag, Ruff, Painted Stork, White Spoonbill, Asian Open-billed Stork, Oriental Ibis, Darter, Common Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, and Green Sandpiper.
Other migratory birds include Siberian Crane, Steppe Eagle, Pale and Marsh Harriers, Osprey, Common Teal, Indian Little Ringed Plover, etc.
Indian Sarus Cranes are also found and often courting which makes for some amazing pictures. Herons and egrets are also found in plenty here including Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Pond Heron, Little Green Heron, Great Egret, Intermediate Egret, Cattle Egret, and Little Egret.
The flora of any place plays a major role in helping it survive and thrive. Without suitable flora, there would be no fauna. The Keoladeo “Ghana” National Park understands this importance and therefore included it in its name. “Ghana” means thick, dense and hence represents the lush, dense forests that span the north-east part of the national park and is dominated mostly by trees like kadam, jamun, and babul.
The vegetation mainly includes tropical dry deciduous trees with a dash of dry scrublands here and there. Then there are marsh-lands which are maintained by human effort. Ber and kair dominate the shrubs and are widespread.
As for the fauna, almost 27 mammalian species and 43 fish species are found here, along with a variety of snakes, lizards, and turtles. You’ll easily spot Nilgai (antelope), Feral cattle and Cheetal Deer. Sambhar might give you a hard time. Other animals usually spotted include Wild boar, Indian Porcupine, the small Indian Mongoose, the Common Indian gray Mongoose, Asian Palm Civet, the Small Indian Civet, Smooth-coated Otter, predators like Golden Jackals and Striped Hyenas, Rhesus Macaque, Hanuman langurs, Hog deers, etc.
Snakes found include python, krait, cobra and Russell’s viper. There is a python point where you can easily see python if you are lucky.
Other Activities to enjoy
Following activities you can enjoy in the Keoladeo national park:
Apart from these, there are many beautiful places near the park where you can go sight-seeing.
Indian – INR 50
Foreigner – INR 250
Vehicle entry – INR 100
By Air: The nearest airports are Delhi and Jaipur, airports with amazing flight connectivity.
By Train: The nearest railway station is Bharatpur Junction, approximately 5 km from the national park and is well connected to major cities of Rajasthan as well as cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Agra.
By Road: Bharatpur is very well connected with major cities via road too. Agra is just 75 min away, Jaipur 3 hrs away and Delhi only 4 hrs away. Bharatpur enjoys a good spot on the Golden Triangle Circuit and thus witnesses tourists stopping here often.
Rajasthan, Ranthambore National Park, Keoladeo National Park (Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary), Sariska Tiger Reserve, Tal Chhapar Sanctuary, Desert National Park (DNP), Uttarakhand, Jim Corbett National Park, Pangot, Sattal, Madhya Pradesh, Bandhavgarh National Park, Kanha Tiger Reserve, Satpura Tiger Reserve, Pench National Park, Panna National Park
Tal Chappar sanctuary, the go-to place for birders to watch birds-of-prey, is located in Churu district of North-western Rajasthan. It’s home to vultures, falcons, eagles and many more birds. Its a popular bird watching destination in Rajasthan. This article covers how to reach, timing, bird gallery, birding guides, time to visit.
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