Photo StoryPublished : Jul 27, 2023Updated : Jan 21, 2025
While Bharatpur’s waterbodies are brimming with waterbirds, the variety of habitats, from woodlands to dry forests and savannas, reflects the great diversity of birds found there
Text by: Sutirtha Lahiri
Photos by: Dhritiman Mukherjee
While Bharatpur’s waterbodies are brimming with waterbirds, the variety of habitats, from woodlands to dry forests and savannas, reflects the great diversity of birds found there
As wildlife enthusiasts, we learn that wildlife thrives in inviolate spaces, i.e., areas without the intrusion or influence of humans. Images and visuals of “pristine” forests and “untouched” savannas have long captured our imagination, and these landscapes are often shown brimming with wildlife. Truth is, almost every habitat has had varying levels of human influence, past or present. This is true of Keoladeo Ghana National Park (or Bharatpur as it is often called) too, I thought while walking around and observing the water teeming with birds in every direction. The walk, and subsequent deep dive into its long history, gives one a fascinating account of how diversity is a result not just of ecological but also social and political factors.
With the departure of the British in 1947, the winding down of Indian Princely states, and a slew of conservation policies, including the Wildlife (Protection) Act in 1972, duck hunting was banned in 1972 and Bharatpur National Park was recognised as a protected area (and later as a sanctuary in 1976). It was also subsequently recognised as a Ramsar site in 1981. While the area was accorded conservation status, it also paved the way for intense political and social strife. The notification to ban cattle grazing in the park was followed by protests from surrounding villagers, leading to the most unfortunate incident of police shooting nine villagers in 1982. Tracing the long and tumultuous history of Keoladeo is important to understand the myriad social factors that have shaped the park and its diversity.
In colonial times, beaters were employed to flush ducks out of their cover for maharajas and British officers to shoot. Today, even a brisk walk along the waterbody will reveal a lot — birds on a hunt, flocks of ducks responding to a bird of prey, egrets in a standoff with other birds for food — it is an action-packed birding experience that will captivate you.
If you notice a flurry of activity on the water, and suddenly, thousands of waterbirds take to the sky, keep your binoculars ready. Chances are, you will see the dark brown/black silhouette of a Eurasian marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus) flying closely above the flock of birds. This migratory raptor winters in mainland India and parts of Africa and breeds in Central and Eastern Europe. (2) The male has a dark brown body with a pale, cream-coloured head and neck. The female is lighter brown and more streaked. You will usually see the bird gliding above the water or grassland patches, carefully watching for easy prey with their bright, yellow eyes. Once it identifies prey (usually a smaller flock of birds or a singled-out individual), the harrier swoops in for the kill. Flocks of waterbirds, including many species of ducks (1) are constantly on the lookout for birds like the marsh harrier as they forage in the waters.
The sight of thousands of waterfowl taking to the skies is not uncommon on crisp winter mornings in Keoladeo. It has one of the highest densities of waterfowl. Renowned Indian ornithologist Salim Ali, who advocated for the protection and recognition of Bharatpur, remarked that the park “is second only to the Manchar Lake in Sindh, Pakistan”, in terms of its waterfowl density, where bags of more than 2,000 gunned ducks by Indian royals and British delegates were not uncommon. He says, “...the bags in themselves are an indication of the density of the wintering waterfowl.” Adequate water and habitat management practices and protection has retained a sizable number of waterfowl in Keoladeo to this day.
While waterbodies are plentiful in Bharatpur, resources are always tight. Fish, a major food source for most of the area’s waterbirds, are in high demand. In the natural course of life, different bird species may fight for resources, sometimes even snatching from each other or giving chase, such as this duo of grey heron and intermediate egret. Fish supplies are critical for the birds, but Keoladeo’s waterbodies face another problem. A highly invasive species of fish, the African catfish, has infested these waters, preying on native fishes of the region. This can have a cascading negative impact on the entire ecosystem.
The various waterbodies at Keoladeo National Park are abundant in waterbirds of all kinds. Scan the water’s surface for an occasional snake-like thin neck popping up and wait patiently and you may see an (1) Oriental darter (Anhinga melanogaster) foraging. The darter is also called the snake bird (given its long neck) and is distributed throughout South and Southeast Asia, where it feeds mostly on fishes, crustaceans, and amphibians. The oriental darter is usually a solitary bird, thought to make local migratory moves in response to drought conditions. Like many waterbirds, including the (2) great egret (Ardea alba), the oriental darter is threatened by the reduction and diversion of waterbodies, cases of which have sprung up throughout India, including in Bharatpur.
Besides waterbirds, Keoladeo’s waterbodies are rife with activity from other birds. As you walk past the stands of Prosopis or Acacia trees, you may see a perched white-throated kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) watching intently. In a quick swoop, it will use its streamlined body to cut through water to catch its prey. While they are thought to rely primarily on fish, white-throated kingfishers have a broad platter, ranging from insects and mice to other birds (including adult birds like prinias, munias, and other small birds). Interestingly, the body design of the kingfisher inspired engineers building Japan’s bullet trains.
Keoladeo is not just a haunt for water-loving birds. While the national park came into popular view because of its waterbird diversity (and the subsequent need to protect them from rampant game hunting), it has a lot more. The diversity of habitats within the park, from woodlands to dry forests and savannas, reflects the diversity of birds found here. Scan the trees around the wooded areas, and you are likely to spot an oriental honey buzzard. It is easy to identify because of its distinct pigeon-shaped head, even though it has many different morphs (variations in colouration). As the name suggests, the honey buzzard forages on bee larvae from honeycombs. However, it has a broad diet consisting of insects, frogs, lizards, and even small mammals and birds.
The atmosphere around an animal carcass in the park can often be charged, with multiple species vying for a chunk of flesh. Animals like jackals and other scavengers like crows, eagles, and vultures form a crucial part of the ecosystem as agents of decomposition. They are a crucial link to returning dead biomass (the carcass) to the food chain. Indian jackals (Canis aureus) are opportunistic feeders. Their diet includes small animals, a range of plants, fruits, leaves and grass, and carcasses. Here, jackals are actively defending the carcass from other scavengers, including the (1) Indian spotted eagle (Clanga hastata) and (2) the large-billed crow (Corvus macrorhynchos). Outside the protected park area, scavengers may also face threats due to the poisoning of carcasses as a retaliatory measure against animals that come into conflict with humans in multi-use landscapes.
The Indian flying fox (Pteropus giganteus) occasionally swoops down on waterbodies for a quick drink. It is one of the largest bats in the world and is native to the Indian subcontinent. As a frugivore (predominantly fruit eater), it is a key disperser of many fruiting trees. Waterbodies are also important for smaller insectivorous bats, which congregate around waterbodies to feed off insects hovering above them, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. Many species of bats split their feeding time around waterbodies to avoid competing with other bat species, as shown in recent long-term monitoring research from Rajasthan, which highlights the importance of such resources.
Not everything is action-packed at Bharatpur. There is great charm in finding a spot by a waterbody and admiring a flock of giant waterbirds like these Dalmatian pelicans (Pelecanus crispus) gracefully foraging on the waters. A migratory species to India, they breed in Eastern Europe and parts of Asia. Dalmatian pelicans are threatened by changes to lagoons and coasts and other wetlands due to habitat loss and large-scale developmental projects and are considered “Near Threatened” by the IUCN.
is a researcher at IISER Pune. He is keen about natural history, writing, indigenous knowledge in conservation and sustainability, and loves exploring local food and good tea.
is one of India's most prolific wildlife and conservation photographers. His work has been featured in leading publications. He is also a RoundGlass Ambassador, and an RBS Earth Hero awardee.
