One
of the finest bird parks in the world, Keoladeo National Park is a reserve
that offers protection to faunal species as well. Though there is no doubt
that this primarily a bird sanctuary. Once a shooting preserve of the royal
family of Bharatpur, the marshy swamplands were created by a Maharaja who
diverted water from irrigation canals to flood the low depression, creating
a permanent for waterfowl. Today, 120 species of birds nest at Keoladeo, and the heronry is believed to be the best in the world. Several more are migratory visitors, journeying to the park in the winters from distances as far as Siberia.
