Description: Located on the fringes of the Thar desert, the Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur has over 400 species of birds, with more than 130 of them breeding inside the park. Formerly the private hunting reserve of the Maharajas of Bharatpur, it was developed in the late 19th century by collecting rainwater in a natural depression and creating small dams and bunds to contain it. The area was also fed by irrigation canals. The lakes that were formed attracted water fowl in large numbers and grand shoots were held.
Two-third of the park lies under water with the remaining area covered by dry deciduous forests and extensive grasslands. The resident water birds nest, often in large mixed colonies, on the profusion of acacia trees growing on the raised ground outlining the wetlands, a magnificent sight, especially during the monsoons.
Prominent Birds: Keoladeo National Park has many indigenous water birds with massive migration of coot snipes, spanish sparrow, red crested porhard, rosy pelican, flamingo, Siberian crane, geese, stork, heron, snake bird, common demoiselle and others from Europe, Siberia and China. The visitors arrive by August and leave by February.
Prominent Animals:Mammals and reptiles like the golden jackal, striped hyena, fishing cat, jungle cat, nilgai, sambar, blackbuck, jackals, otters, spotted deer and wild boar, and the occasional large Indian pythons and monitor lizards, can also be seen in the Keoladeo National Park.
Season: Although the park is open throughout the year, the best time to visit this sanctuary is during August to March, August to November for the resident breeding birds and November to March for the migrant birds. The climate is warm although light woollens are necessary in the winters.
Access: Bharatpur is 56 km, about an hour's drive, from Agra; 176 km, about 5 hours' drive from Delhi; and 176 km, about 6 hours' drive, from Jaipur. The Bharatpur railway station is 6 km from the park.
Park visits: The Keoladeo Park, which is only about 29 sq km in area (11 km marshes and the rest scrubland and grassland), can be covered by foot or on a hired cycle. You can also hire a cycle rickshaw, which has the advantage that rickshaw pullers have been trained by the park management in bird watching and are quite adequate guides. Boats are also available for hire. An early morning or late evening boat trip is an excellent way of sighting birds. Carrying a pair of binoculars is also a good idea.
Book a bird watching tour
Go To Top
