Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary: An ideal place to spend time with Nature
Bharatpur National Park which is also famous as Keoladeo National Park is a UNESCO-designated World Heritage site located in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. The sanctuary’s new name is taken from the temple of Keoladeo, which is devoted to Lord Shiva.
It has around 366 species of birds, 379 kinds of flora, and roughly 30 animals. Many aquatic birds from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China, and Siberia may be found in the park’s bird family. Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is an attractive getaway for wildlife photographers and bird watchers since these species migrate to India during winter.
Best time to visit Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary:
While you may visit Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary at any time, the greatest time to see resident birds is August to November, and the best time to see migratory birds is October to March.
Opening times of Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary:
In summers, it remains open from 6 AM to 6 PM while in winters, it remains open from 6:30 to 5 PM.
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary: History
The Maharaja of Bharatpur utilised the region as a duck shooting preserve. From the 1850s to March 1982, it was known as Bharatpur National Park. It was then called Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in March 1976. In 1985, UNESCO designated the park as a World Heritage Site after witnessing the area’s broad diversity of flora and fauna.
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary – Flora and Fauna:
Between the typically busy getaways of Agra and Jaipur, the Bharatpur wildlife sanctuary is a beautiful haven of tranquilly. A large section of the park’s northeast region is covered in Kadam, Jamun, and Babul trees. The park’s aquatic vegetation is abundant, meeting the feeding needs of ducks.
With hundreds of residents and migrating species, Bharatpur Sanctuary is one of Asia’s best birding sites. Pipits, Cranes, larks, geese, buntings, pelicans, flycatchers, eagles, hawks, ducks, stints, shanks, wheatears, wagtails and warblers, all can be seen in Keoladeo, which was once a Maharajas’ duck-hunting reserve.
Mammals such as the golden jackal, nilgai, jungle cat, sambar and wild boar may also be seen here. Watching them play, pounce, and roam about freely in their natural surroundings is a joy. During the winter, pythons may also be seen sluggishly wandering around.
Bird Safari – Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary:
The most bizarre experience in Bharatpur reserve is a bird safari. Plan a visit to this sanctuary when many birds from neighbouring nations flock here to spend the winters.
Bharatpur wildlife sanctuary covers 29 square kilometres and includes well-maintained forest paths that may be traversed on foot, by rickshaw, or by bicycle. Motor vehicles, on the other hand, are prohibited inside the sanctuary premises.
Going on a boating excursion early in the morning or late in the evening may add a lot of excitement to your birding tour. Use your photography abilities to capture candid images of birds.
Timings: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day; to get the most out of your time, go early in the morning or right after sunset.
