Keoladeo National Park

Geography

Keoladeo National Park lies between 77°29.5' to 73°33.9' East longitudes 27°76' to 27°12.21' North latitudes. it is hardly 2 km south east of Bharatpur city. 38 km south west of Mathura and 54 km west of Agra. Delhi and Jaipur are almost equidistant.

History

This one-of-a-kind bird sanctuary has a special history. The Maharaja of Bharatpur is credited for its creation in 1890, even though conservation was the last thing on his mind. He got a large area enclosed with embankments and further divided it with earthen dams called ’bunds’ creating a large number of marshes and lakes. Thus, Bharatpur is mainly an artificial creation. The government banned the indiscriminate shooting of birds in 1965. The area was declared a national park in 1982, and accepted as a World Heritage Site in 1985.
The most popular bird among tourists and ornithologists is the Siberian Crane. According to experts, the Siberian Crane is known to travel distances of up to 6,500 km migrating from the Ob River basin region in the Aral Mountains in Siberia. Conservationists are working hard to protect this fast disappearing species. 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). An intriguing fact is that though Siberian cranes have a mixed diet of vegetation, fish and other small creatures back home, they adopt a vegetarian diet during their stay in India. they react to intruders with spectacular displays and loud cries.

Flora & Fauna

The Bharatpur National Park attracts birds from all around the world. In fact, the sanctuary is regularly visited by migratory birds from Europe, China, Tibet and Siberia. They include the famous Siberian Crane, Chinese Bareheaded Goose, Siberian Greyleg Goose and other varieties of pelicans. The local birds you can come across at the Bharatpur National Park include the Grey Heron, Purple Heron, White Necked Stork, Spoonbill, Large Egret, White Egret, Warbler, Marsh Harrier, Pipit and the Painted Stork.
Flora - The 29 sq km of the park is majorly covered with kadam forests, grasslands and shallow lakes.
Birds - Birds are the prime attraction for the visitors in this park. It is one of the best places in the world to see birds. Around 350 species of birds, both resident and migratory, can be seen in this park. The most popular and awaited guest of the park is the highly endangered Siberian Cranes. The bird is known to fly to just two destinations in winters, viz., Iran and Bharatpur. The birds arrive in December and stay comfortably till the early days of March. Other birds that form a major attraction in the park include Pelicans, Geese, Ducks, Ibises, Egrets, Eagles, Hawks, Warblers, Wheatears, Flycatchers, Buntings, Larks, Shanks, Stints, Wagtails and Pipits
Animals - Though the birds at the Bharatpur National Park hog much of the limelight, yet the animals to have their fair share of spectators and lovers. The most prominent animals that can be seen in the park are Golden Jackal, Striped Hyena, Fishing Cat, Jungle Cat, Nilgai, Sambar, Blackbuck and Wild Boar.
Reptiles - A wide variety of reptiles can also be found in the Bharatpur National Park. Visitors can get to see the large Python lazing in the warmth of the sun rays.
Widlife Attractions : The ambiance is just exhilarating. There are more than 375 species of birds in Keoladeo National Park. The natural beauty is just breathtaking and the birds fluttering, singing, chirping all around makes it almost next to heaven. You will meet dancing, singing, quarreling birds in the surrounding of the park. You will also find the mother birds feeding their babies. The entire surrounding is just mesmerizing and mind blowing. Cranes, Pelicans, Geese, Ducks, Eagles, Hawks, Shanks, Stints, Wagtails, Warblers, Wheatears, Flycatchers, Buntings, Larks and Pipits, etc are some of the birds you will find here.

Besides, during the winters the population of the park increases by several thousands, as the birds migrate from several cold countries to spend their summers here. But, there is more to see here, the park also houses, some rare species of fauna like - Sambar, Chital, Nilgai and Boar.

Keoladeo National Park Climate

The overall climate of Keoladeo is sub-humid to semi-arid. Summers are invariably hot and winters are not very cold. During summers (April-June), the temperature ranges from 38°C to 45°C. The onset of monsoon (July-August) lowers the temperature to about 27°C. Winter (October-March) season peaks after Christmas with temperatures falling below 10°C. Rainfall is less but sufficient, the average rainfall received in Bharatpur is approximately 495 mm but the drought has become very frequent now a days.

Park Visiting Time

The park is open throughout the year. Best months are August-November for resident breeding birds and November-March for migrant birds.

How To Reach Keoladeo National Park

Flight : The nearest airport is situated at Agra, which is 56-kms from Bharatpur.

Train : Regular rail services connect Bharatpur with all the major cities of India such as Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Agra. The Bharatpur railway station is 6-kms from the park.

Road : An excellent network of roadway services connects Bharatpur to all the major cities of the Rajasthan and its neighbouring states like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana. Bharatpur is well connected by road from Agra (56-kms, 5 hours), Delhi (176-kms, 5 hours) and Jaipur (176-kms, 6 hours), all of which have airport facilities too.