Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary – India

About

Now known as the Keoladeo National Park, and locally known as Ghana, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is in Bharatpur Rajasthan, India. Keoladeo National Park is a man-made wetland and one of the many national parks in India. This man-made reserve protects Bharatpur from floods and provides a home to a wide variety of bird species, floral species, fish, and other species.

The Keoladeo National Park was previously known and used as a duck shooting preserve by the Maharaja of Bharatpur from 1850 through March of 1982 but was completely banned by the government in 1982. It was declared a protected sanctuary and The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, declared the national park as a World Heritage site in 1985.

It is a popular weekend getaway from Delhi but as well a home to over 370 species of birds. The Keoladeo National Park is one of the best bird-watching sites in Asia bringing in visitors from all over the world from students, birdwatchers, and foreign tourists. Birds native to Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China, and Siberia come to India during winter migration. Known as a bird paradise, due to its prime location and staging ground for migratory waterfowl arriving here before dispersing to other various regions and being the only regular wintering area in India for the Siberian Crane. Its prime location in the Gangetic plain indeed makes it a perfect, unparalleled breeding site for Cormorants, storks, and Herons.

Owen visited Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in January of 2015 and has photographed Long-tailed Shrikes, White-throated Kingfishers, Sarus Cranes, Purple Herons, and many others.