Ranganathittu - A Birdwatcher's Paradise:
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| A Painted Stork in flight at Ranganathittu |
It was spring season and definitely one of the best seasons for going out bird watching, we chose to drive to Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary over Kokkare Bellur. Early morning drive on Bengaluru-Mysuru highway was as amazing as always it used to be. After relishing the divine sunrise on the highway, we reached Ranganathittu BS by 8.30am which is about 2.5km from the Highway.
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| Sunrise at Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway |
We were one of the first tourists here, so had a peaceful time in adoring the Mother Nature.
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| A mustering of storks along with Spoonbills |
Ranganathittu is a designated Bird Sanctuary preserved and maintained by the Forest Department of Karnataka State. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1940 after the ornithologist Dr. Salim Ali observed that the isles formed an important nesting ground for birds, and persuaded the Wodeyar kings of Mysore.
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| Sight of the BS |
Every year thousands of birds migrate here from as far as Siberia for the purpose of nesting and fly back with their young ones later. River Cauvery flows through Ranganathittu forming many islets covered with trees, where the birds build their nests. Ranganathittu is home for both Migratory and resident birds, along with a float of marsh crocodiles and colonies of bats.
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| Marsh Crocodile at Kaveri river, Ranganathittu |
The sanctuary is best explored through boating where they take you very near to the birds nest. It was an amazing experience to spot over 15 different species of birds. Pelicans were spotted in great numbers; Painted Stork and Asian Open-Billed Stork were also in large numbers. Colonies of exotic birds like Great Egret and Eurasian Spoonbill were also found. Apart from these, we spotted Little cormorant, Black-Crowned Night Heron, Pied Kingfisher, Snakebird, Darter, Eurasian marsh harrier, White Spotted Fantail Flycatcher, and Pale Billed Flower Pecker. This dissimulation of birds is a must see for every bird enthusiast.
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| Pelican in flight |
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| Pelicans |
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| Pelican fishing |
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| Painted Stork gathering sticks for building nest |
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| A painted stork in close encounter with Crocodile |
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| Asian Open-Billed Stork in their nest |
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| Asian Open-Billed Stork |
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| Great Egret |
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| Closer view of Egret |
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| Eurasian Spoonbill |
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| flight of Spoonbills |
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| Cormorant in flight |
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| Cormorant |
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| Black-Crowned Night Heron |
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| White Spotted Fantail Flycatcher |
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| Pale Billed Flowerpecker |
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| Eurasian marsh harrier |
In our earlier visit to the Sanctuary during October, we spotted different species of birds, Black Headed Ibis in large numbers, River Tern and Stone plover.
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| Black Headed Ibis |
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| River Tern |
Best time to visit Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary:
Although November to June is the best time to visit Ranganathittu, but every season you can spot different species of birds. This means that round the year bird’s flock here.
Birds at Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary:
This place is termed as bird’s paradise for a reason; there is a long list of birds which come to this sanctuary,
- Spot-billed Pelicans
- Painted Stork
- Open-Billed Stork
- Black Headed Ibis
- Eurasian Spoonbill
- River Tern
- Cormorant
- Snakebird/Darter
- Great Egret
- Cattle Egret
- Little Egret
- Great Stone-Curlew/Great-billed Thick-knee/Great Stone Plover
- Black-Crowned Night Heron
- Purple Heron
- Indian Pond Heron
- Grey Heron
- Brahminy Kite
- Baya Weaver bird
- Large Pied Wagtail
- Grey Wagtail
- White-browed Wagtail
- Indian Cliff Swallow
- Streak-throated Swallow
- Pied Kingfisher
- White-Throated Kingfisher
- Stork-billed Kingfisher
- Small Green Bee-Eater
- Red-Wattled Lapwing
- Grey-Headed Fishing Eagle
- Crested Serpent Eagle
- Oriental Magpie Robin
- Great Tit
- Red-Whiskered Bulbul
- Purple-Rumped Sunbird
- Black-Headed Munia
- Eurasian Marsh Harrier
- White Spotted Fantail Flycatcher
- Asian Paradise Flycatcher
- Tickells Blue Flycatcher
- Slaty-backed Flycatcher
- White-cheeked Barbet
- Common Hawk Cuckoo
- Indian Roller
- Pale Billed Flowerpecker
and the list goes on and on....
Although the Sanctuary is popular for birds, they are also home for fish eating Smooth Coated Otter, large number of Marsh Crocodiles, many species of Butterflies, colonies of Fruit bats and Indian Flying fox.
Tourist Information:
Timings 08:30 am - 06:00 pm
Entry Charges (Indian National) Rs. 60
Boating Charges (Indian National) Rs. 60
Car Parking Charges Rs. 30
Restaurant: Available
Washrooms: Available
How to reach:
Take a bus from Bengaluru - Mysuru and get down at Srirangapatna, take an auto from Srirangapatna to Ranganathittu BS which is a 4km ride.
Nearest major railway station is at a distance of 16km which is Mysore Railway Station (MYS); take a city bus from Mysore to Ranganathittu BS.
Nearest International Airport is Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru
Taxi: you can also hire a taxi from Bengaluru or Mysuru for half day fare.
Summer treat for birdwatchers at Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary
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