Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary A Jewel in Crown

The destination is a pool of sparkling water hubs and marshlands enclosed in a forest. The assemblage of extensive wetlands is a big draw for wetland and shore species of birds. Bharatpur is World renowned among the ornithologists.

It is a bird sanctuary also known as Keoladeo Ghana which literally translates to a Shiva Temple in the forest. Long time back this was a dense forest little of which still remains. The wetlands where expanded to form a large pool of wetlands scattered around in an area of twenty eight square kilometres. The wetlands get inundated during the monsoon and are also fed by River Chambal through a pipeline nowadays. An alternate source of water for humanity exists and thus the wetlands are left undisturbed.

A large number of pale arctic migrants arrive here every winter and with them fetch hundreds of enthusiasts every day. Winter is the birding season which invites overseas visitors and birders from India. Destinations like Keoladeo create a large industry focused on bird watching in the country. Very soon it will match the volume created by tiger tourism in the reserves.

In order to see and checklist one needs to hire a guide at the gate and pay a fee. The guides are experienced and trained and identify a large number of species in the park. You can be on foot throughout or watch avian on peddle rickshaw, cycles are also available for hire. But the best experience is had on foot which may be tiring for holiday makers but not for the sturdy birders. The guide will take you to places for different kind of avian species depending upon the habitat. In a two day trip you can checklist half of the existing numbers which is more than three hundred species. For rest and lunch you can halt at the Center Point which also has toilet facilities. Fetch your food from the hotel or buy snacks from the canteen.

There are plenty of hotels in the neighborhood for accommodation of the bird sanctuary. Pick your choice luxury of high end. These birding lodges organize bird watching at Bharatpur for tourists. They also liaison with guides and transporters and will send hot lunch during the break. Inside the sanctuary you should look for target species with the help of the guide. You can before arrival make a list of species you wish to see from check lists available online or through guide books.

If you are a trained birder than the task at the sanctuary becomes easier for finding birds. In case you are a beginner rely on the guide and fellow enthusiasts. You will need a good pair of binoculars, spotting scope and handbook to accomplish making a good checklist. A visit to this destination is a revelation for beginners. If you work hard here you can be successful in birding in India at many hot spots.

The country is home to thirteen percent of avian species while some are endemic others are rare visitors. Best is to organize the ornithological explorations through a tour operator with repute.

Uday writes often on Indian wildlife especially about the tigers. He works as a naturalist and is fond of travel. Uday also provides search engine optimization service and website contents in English.