Keoladeo Ghana: Wetland Ecology and Avian Heritage

Keoladeo Ghana National Park (formerly Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world's most important avian ecosystems. The 29 sq km wetland was originally a human-made duck-shooting preserve of the Bharatpur Maharajas, constructed by channelling monsoon floodwater from the Gambhir and Banganga rivers through an intricate system of dykes and sluices. Over 366 bird species have been recorded, including the critically endangered Siberian crane that formerly wintered here in large flocks. The park contains open water, reed beds, dry grassland, and scrub woodland habitats maintained through water level management. Heronries of painted storks, spot-billed pelicans, and open-billed storks nest in trees above the water in massive colonies. Local Braj communities depended on the wetland for fishing and reed cutting under traditional rights that were abolished when the park was notified.