Ranganatittu

Ranganatittu Bird Sanctuary

Location	:	Ranganatittu Karnataka
Category	:	Nature, Birds
Time	:	All through year. Especially Feb-March (Breeding season)
Booking Required	:	No.
Guide Required	:	No.
Time Required	:	half - One days
Musts	:	Boating, if interested - special boat
Expense	:	~INR 1000 for special boat (4-5 members allowed)

"Time to see all time greatest travellers of the world"

Written on : 21-Mar-2017

Visted During : March 2015 and March 2017

Some more Information

Ranganatittu is one of the finest bird santuaries in Karnataka and attracts thousands of birds all around the year. The clear water and the islands dedicated birds makes them comfortable during their breeding season. Over a hundred variety of birds are identified here. Some birds stay here all their life while some travel from various parts of the country and world.

As a traveller, all you need is special pair of eyes to look around for even the tiny birds in the bushes and bamboo trees. Fruit eating birds like coppersmith barbet are also common to be found. But, most people who go to Ranganatittu see big birds like Pelicans and Painted storks only since they are in huge number and found everywhere. But, it is fun to observe activities of small birds too.
There are 2 types of boating facilities - A common one which is around 15 minutes and takes around 10-15 people. Another is the special boat which is around 45 minutes and costs INR 1000. (Tips to boatmen works here if you want to see birds better.)

My Experience and Opinion

I saw some of the greatest and finest travelers of the world and they were in hundreds. They seemed to be as busy as one could be. Some took rest while some were busy taking bath. Amidst of them I found this couple which was busy making love to each other forgetting the world. After all, they travelled miles and miles to spend some quality time and they chose it as per their choice. In between the loud noise of his friends who were enjoying their stay, I found this guy who looked clueless and lonely. The pain was seen in his every action. The large group even had kids with curious eyes and aimless walk. It was a place that they chose as their home temporarily and the place was virtually owned by them.

Just like Goa is not ‘The Goa’ without tourists, this place is not ‘The Ranganatittu’ without these birds. Yes, the travelers who make Ranganatittu beautiful are the ones who flew from hundreds and thousands of miles to spend a part of their life here. While Ranganatittu is a permanent home for a few birds, it is chosen as a home temporary shelter by the rest. Migratory birds from various countries right from Australia to Africa fly to this small island. These birds must be true foodies because ample food is one of the reason why they fly all the way to this small place. Clean water, privacy and fresh fish makes their life a heaven here. The tiny islands, trees, rocks and the bushes are chosen by various birds to build their nest, breed and bring up their young ones. The little ones learn everything here from flapping their wings to flying and from keeping their mouth wide open for their parent to bring water and food to learning fishing.
I also saw some bird saint who spent majority of their time meditating in the rocks of Ranganatittu. But, slightest of disturbance was least tolerated by these saints and they flapped their wings to fly to another rock to continue their meditation. Some stood in single leg while some kept their wings wide open while meditating. Just before I could choose a lonely painted stork as a winner in meditation, I found the straighted heron who had already spent over an hour meditating.
While some chose the luxury of staying in tall trees in their own nest, I found the stone plover bird who had chosen a bare rock as it’s home. It’s young one had already started loving it to walk over the rock and try flapping its wings. Those barren rocks must be having satisfied life of giving life to many birds every year. Brahminy Kite looked tired post its rounds around the lake and had decided to take a deep nap leaning its tummy to a tree trunk. As the boat went deep into a farther island (less than 10 minutes of distance from starting point) we found the tiny kingfishers. Pied kingfisher looked to be in a good mood to play hide and seek but the Bazooka looking Lens’of photographers won the game. Those are the times when people start begging nature to give some good light on right area to capture the right moment to treasure for a lifetime.
Capturing the experiences in words is like caging the birds to show others. Yes, they look beautiful in words. But, if you want to live those experiences, you should be experiencing it with the birds when they fly and be lively. Visit Ranganatittu if you are a bird lover. But, please leave the place as is since these travelers are very choosy and hate dirt. After all, for the next generation, let us leave the Ranganatittu as Ranganatittu itself. To retain it so, we need those traveller’s visiting the place year after year and forever.

Here is a list of birds that I could identify during my visits. The variety of birds that come here are not limited to the list below. You will find various more during different seasons.
1 Blue Kingfisher
2 Braminy Kite
3 Common Crow
4 Common Egret
5 Coppersmith Barbet
6 Cormorant
7 Grey Heron
8 Malabar Grey Hornbill
9 Mud swallow
10 Open bill stork
11 Painted Stork
12 Peafoul
13 Pelican
14 Pied Kingfisher
15 Pond Heron
16 Red Whiskered Bulbul
17 River Tern
18 Snowy Egret
19 Spoon bill
20 Stone Plover
21 Straited Heron
22 Swallow
23 White Browed wagtail
24 Paradise fly catcher
25 Tickells fly catcher

Photos

Photos are in the alphabetical order of bird names. The list of birds available here are much more than the ones in the pictures below.

Click on the images to view in full size.