India Guide
Rajasthan
Keoladeo National Park
Price: Rs200, video Rs200
Opening time: Daily: April– Sept 6am–6pm; Oct– March 6.30am–5pm
Keoladeo National Park is India's premier bird-watching sanctuary – an avian wonderland that attracts vast numbers of feathered creatures thanks to its strategic location, protected status and extensive wetlands (albeit currently reduced by drought). Dedicated ornithologists flock to the park, but it's a richly rewarding place to visit even for for novices.
Keoladeo's 29 square kilometres constitute one of the world's most important ornithological breeding and migratory areas. Some 375 bird species have been recorded here, including around two hundred year-round residents along with 150-odd migratory species from as far afield as Tibet, China, Siberia and even Europe, who fly south to escape the northern winter. Keoladeo is probably best known for its stupendous array of aquatic birds, which descend en masse on the park's wetlands following the dramatic arrival of the monsoon in July. These include the majestic saras crane and a staggering two thousand painted storks, whose nesting cries create a constant background din, as well as snake-necked darters, spoonbills, pink flamingos, white ibis and grey pelicans (although sadly the extremely endangered Siberian cranes have barely been seen since the early 1990s. Mammals include wild boar, mongoose, chital, nilgai and sambar, as well as hyenas, jackals and otters, and even elusive jungle cats. Rock pythons sun themselves at Python Point, just past Keoladeo temple. The best time to visit is following the monsoon (roughly Oct– March), when the weather is dry but the lakes are still full and the migratory birds in residence (although mists in December and January can hinder serious bird-watching).
The park entrance is 4km south of Bharatpur railway station. You can hire a guide there (Rs70/hr for up to five people). The best way to get around is by bike, available at the main entrance (Rs25), or by cycle rickshaw (Rs50/hr). During the winter, gondola-style boats (Rs100) offer short rides across the wetlands, assuming there's enough water.