State : Rajasthan
Area : 29 sq. km
Altitude : 174 m above mean sea level
Vegetation : Semi arid and marshes
Water resources : Canals, sluices and dykes
Winter : November to mid-February
Summer : April to June
Monsoon : July to September
Rainfall : 662 mm
Temperature : Min 5°C – Max 47 0°C
The Keoladeo National Park or Keoladeo Ghana National Park formerly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Bharatpur,Rajasthan, India. Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is heralded as one of the finest bird reserves in the world.
Located at just 55 km from the wonder city Agra, Bharatpur today serves as a home to over 300 different avifauna species. Most of these are endangered or migratory. While travelling in Bharatpur, you can click several rarest of birds coming from far off places like Siberia, Europe, China, Afghanistan, Central Asia and Tibet. Ideally, October to February is the best time to visit the place, but even in summers and heat you can click species like the Siberian crane, the Siberian Greyleg Goose and the Chinese Bareheaded Goose.
Bharatpur is also a safe haven for several endangered avifauna such as the White-bellied Heron, Greater Flamingo, Spotbilled Pelican, Greater Adjutant, Red-necked Grebe, Pied Avocet, Curlew Sandpiper, Ruddy Kingfisher, Spotted Crake and Indian Skimmer.
Birds like Painted Stork, Pipit, Warbler, Wagtail, White Ibis and the Marsh Harrier can be commonly spotted here throughout the year by paying just a nominal entry fee of Rs. 25. This entry fee goes up to Rs. 200 for international tourists. Apart from the avifauna species, wildlife lovers can also spot various animal species here, which include the Hyena, Sambhar, Chinkara, Blackbuck, Wild boar, Wildcat and the Nilgai. Because of all these spectacular features, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.
If you have enjoyed enough of wildlife sightseeing at Bharatpur in Rajasthan, you can also plan short visits to Bharatpur Government Museum, Lohagarh Fort and Bharatpur palace. These are the places that still stand tall retaining the age old glory of Rajput Kings.