Why visit Bharatpur
- Keoladeo National Park is a Ramsar site
- A World Heritage site
- India's only National Park where the habitat has been made by a Maharaja
The Bharatpur area was developed into a duck shooting reserve in 1899 by Prince Harbhanji . Inspired by the duck shoot reserves that he had experienced in England, he got bunds and dykes constructed so that the water-holding capacity of the area's natural depression increased. The water body was divided into 10 units, each with its own sluice gates to control water levels. Expert naturalists planted trees for birds to roost on. The area was crisscrossed with walking paths to enable hunters to access the entire wetland. Some of the pathways are still paved with the bricks laid out at that time. Some of the birds found here are:
Migrants - Common Teal, Northern Pintail, Sarus Crane, Northern Lapwing,Grey Lag Geese,Spoonbill,Red Crested Pochard. Raptors - Crested Serpent Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Marsh Harrier, Blackwinged Kite, Tawny Eagle, Steppe Eagle,Shikra, King Vulture, White-backed Vulture. Water Birds (wetlands) - Demoiselle and Sarus Cranes, Bronze-winged and Pheasant-tailed Jacanas, Purple Moorhen, Gadwall, Mallard, Common Coot, Ruddy Shelduck, Darter, Shoveler, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis,Cormorant, Egret, Painted Stork, Open-billed Stork. Others - Blossom-headed Parakeet, Indian Roller, Kingfisher, Bulbul, Shrike, Bee-eater,Wagtails, Pipit, Mynah, Lark.
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