Bharatpur is one of the world's best-studied wetland eco-systems. One reason why this miraculous bird paradise at Keoladeo Ghana National Park is able to support such a large number of birds is because there is little competition between the species as they eat different foods. For instance, herons have fish, spoonbills have molluscs and weeds and flamingoes filter tiny planktonic materials from the waters. Raptors such as harriers, eagles and falcons hunt rodents, snakes, lizards and young nesting birds.
Bharatpur is the last known wintering ground for the western population of the Siberian Crane, which unfortunately have not been seen in the last few years. In 1964-65, 200 were seen here. The earliest known record of their coming here is in a painting made by a 17th Century court painter Mansur, who painted a fairly accurate depiction of a Siberian Crane. The Siberian or the Sibes as they are called is (was?) the park's most far-flung visitor, undertaking a mind-boggling marathon of 6400 kms from the Artic.
The migrant list reads like a UN delegation, with exotic dignitaries flying in from Afghanistan, Central Asia and Tibet. The Bar-headed Geese come from China, with Bharatpur being their much-favored destination. A visitor from Siberia is the Grey-lag Goose.
Some of the birds found here are:
Migrants - Common Teal, Osprey, Pale and Marsh Harriers, Steppe Eagle, Indian Little ringed Plover.
Raptors - Crested Serpent Eagle, Pallas Fishing Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Ring-tailed Fishing Eagle, Blackwinged Kite, Tawny Eagle, Collared Scops Owl, Dusky Horned Owl, Spotted Owlet, Marsh Harrier, King Vulture, White-backed Vulture.
Water Birds (wetlands) - Demoiselle and Sarus Cranes, Bronze-winged and Pheasant-tailed Jacanas, Purple Moorhens, gadwall, pintail, mallard, coot, Ruddy Shelduck, darter, shoveler, teal, White Ibis, cormorant, egret, Painted Stork, Open-billed Stork.
Others - Blossom-headed Parakeet, Blue Jay, Kingfisher, Bulbul, Shrike, Bee-eater, Finch, Wagtails, Pipit, Mynah, Lark.
A complete checklist of the birds in Bharatpur can be found here - Bharatpur Birds Checklist
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