KEOLADEO NATIONAL PARK BHARATPUR

    A paradise for the avian world, and the pilgrimage for the bird lovers, it was known as the best duck shooting resort in the British empire. But was declared a reserve for birds in 1956 and later upgraded to National Park. UNESCO has listed it as a world heritage site.

The geographical location is ideal as it is on the main North - South avian route of India. Although small in size, 29 sq. km.  only, it boasts to house more than 375 species of beautiful birds, and more than 132 of them breed inside the Keoladeo Ghana National Park and nearly every year new ones are added to the list. The sanctuary not only attracts birds from India but also from places like Europe, Siberia, China and Tibet.

Before mansoon hundreds of these exotic birds roost and nest building activities start on the babool and kadam trees of the park. Water coming through the Ajan Bandh starts filling the various ponds and lakes of the Park. When assured of enough food, hundreds of large, medium and little cormorant, darter, purple and Grey heron, various species of egret, painted, open-billed, white necked and black necked stork, white ibis, spoonbill, night heron and other birds get busy in courting and mating. The trees are over flowed with nests, one can observe a tree housing nests upto fifties and sixties in number belonging to different species of birds looking after their loving young ones. The nests on the trees look like pearl necklaces.

Gracious Saras cranes, the tallest flight birds nest in exposed and open area, both partners share the duty of hatching, while chanting incubating duties, they come together, raise their neckand give out shrill trumpetic calls in unison and at the same time fan their feathers. The newly born chicks are only 10 cm. in size but grows  upto one meter in height within a year.

As the monsoons arrive birds from every part of the country start pouring into the park. Migratory water-fowls, including the pride of Keoladeo Siberian Cranes form the indispensable part of Park. The water-fowls visit the park in millions during the month of October. The most noticeable water-fowl coming to the park are barheaded and greyleg geese. The ducks spotted here are pintail, common teal, ruddy shelduck, mallard, widgeon, shoveler,common shelduck, red crested pochard, gadwall etc. predatory birds like imperial eagle, steppe and tawny eagle spotted eagle, marsh harrier and laggar falcon are attracted towards the park completing the avian food chain of the ecosystem. Some of them like short-toed eagle, lesser spotted eagle and shikra are the residents of Park.

About 11 sq. km. area of the park is covered with water the remaining portion is rich with Kingfisher, Red Vented and white cheeked Bulbuls, Babblers, Quails, Partridges, Sunbirds, Sparrows and Parakeets which live in bushes and burrows. The year round activity of the winged beauties has made the park a pilgrimage for bird lovers and an omithologists delight.

The animal populace also show their presence although they are thoroughly dominated by feathers, wings and beaks. The animals include the Black Buck, Sambhar - the largest Indian Antelope, Spotted deer, and Nigais. Pythons  can also be observed at some places lazing in the sun.

Vehicles are only permitted upto Shanti Kutir inside the park. The Electra Van of forest department can be engaged in the sanctuary, although the best way to explore the park is on foot  or bicycles which are available on hire. Cycle rickshaws can also be hired.

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

Topography,Soil and Climate

The total area of the park is 29 sq. km. It is almost flat with a     central depression of about 8.5 sq. km. and is
the main submerged area of the park.  Much of the area is bushy but it also contains semi arid woodland and scrub. It lies 370 meters above sea level.It is separated from the surrounding villages and agricultural fields by a boundary wall. The soil is alluvial and at many places the saline  patches can    be seen. In fact Bharatpur was salt producing town and the salt production was banned in 1885 A.D.  through a pact     between Bharatpur State and the British Government.

Premansoon season is hot and dry with as low as 30%   humidity. The mansoon sets in the end of June and extends upto September when the     Relative Humidity (R.H.) ranges between 70-75%. The winters last from November to February. The Maximum temperature in     summers ranges between 40-46° C and in winters around 29° C and the minimum temperature 21-23° C and 3-5° C        in summer and winters respectively. The average rainfall received in Bharatpur is  approximately 495 mm but the drought    has become very frequent now a days.The overall climate is sub-humid to semi-arid.

Ideal seasons, Water maintenance and Flora

There are two special seasons to visit the park, first is monsoon which is breeding season of many of its resident
and local migratory birds. The other is winter when the long distance migrants come from thousand of kilometers from eastern Europe, Siberia and central Asia. They migrate with full accuracy to this tiny patch in the Gangetic plains unfailing every year. The main migratory routes into India run down the    valleys of the Indus in the west
and Brahmputra in the east, others fly straight over Himalayas or the Hindu kush.Towards the south of park lies Koladahar where scrubs gradually thin out and give way to broad expanse of grassland with few groves of mature trees, reed bed and further marsh. It is habitat of   Black bucks, Larks,     Buntings, Short toed eagles , Black
winged kites. Heron and Egrets. The Open bill stork arrive first and soon the trees are full of variety of nesting birds such as Egrets, Herons, Cormorants, Ibis, Spoonbills and Painted stork.  When the eggs begin to hatch the environs of the park is filled with noise of hungry nestling and parental activity multiplies. Fishing increase to a large scale with Cormorants and Egrets traversing marshes in the flocks, driving the fishes    before them. Eagles
and Harriers Glide overhead, seeking opportunity for piracy. Once the nesting is complete    and water level drops
most of the birds fly out of the park to seek more plentiful sources of food in aquatic bodies elsewhere.

The Park is dependent partly on rainfall for the  maintenance of it's vegetation, lakes and marshes and partly on
the supply of water through Ajan Dam hardly 0.5 km from the park. The water is drawn into the park through a canal and the dam itself is fed by the water of rivers Gambhir     through Pichuna canal and Ban ganga through
ucchain canal. The water of both  rivers is becoming increasingly deficient due to the growing human pressure on irrigation uncertain and scanty rains and further the    construction of Pachana     dam on the river Gambhir has aggravated the situation.

    The flora includes trees ,  shrubs , herbs,     grasses, climbers     and hydrophytes. The major trees include Azadirachta indica, Acacia niolotica,   Ficus bengalensis,     Ficus religiosa, Mitragyna parvifolia, Pongamia glabra, Zizyphus sp, Tamarindus indicus , Salvadora persica,      Salvadora oleoides, Prosopis cinereria, Dalbergia etc.The shrubs include Capparis,     Adathoda, Argimone, Cassia,    Lantana Ipomea, and Calotropis etc. The climbers like Cuscuta,     Tinospora, Cocinia,     the grasses like Veteveria (Khas) and Cynodon and the hydrophytes like Azolla, Hydrilla, Typha, Nymphoea, Eichornia, Polygonum, Ceratophyllium etc. are   very common. As many as 392 species of angiosperms belonging to 254 genera and 81 families have been reported.