Ranganathittu bird sanctuary:Ranganathittu is a beautiful bird sanctuary just 130 Kms away from Bangalore near the historical town of Srirangapatna. It is a small bird sanctuary (0.67 sq. Kms) with a large concentration of birds. The sanctuary basically consists of small islets on the river Cauvery. The trees on this river serve as nesting sites for a variety of migratory birds.
Once you reach the sanctuary, you have to take a boat which will take you close to the birds. The boatman will give you information on the different species of birds.
Birds of Ranganathittu:
The most common birds during the winter season are the black headed ibis. We saw several of these birds nesting in the trees and feeding their young.
Black-headed Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus)
Oriental Darter (Anhinga melanogaster), also called the Snake Bird
Oriental Darter (Anhinga melanogaster)
River Tern (Sterna aurantia)
Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala)
Openbill Stork (Anastomus oscitans)
Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
Indian Pond Heron or Paddybird (Ardeola grayii)
Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)
Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)Best time to visit:
The best time to visit the sanctuary, according to the local bird guide is late February to early May. That's when you can see a large variety of birds. However, you will not be disappointed anytime of the year you visit here.
Getting there: (Bangalore to Ranganathittu)
From Bangalore, take the 4-lane Mysore Highway. After about 125Kms, you will reach the historical town of Srirangapatna. Drive further beyond the exit arch of Srirangapatna. Just a kilometre after leaving the town and just after you cross a bridge across the river Cauvery, you have to take a road to your right. You can see Karnataka tourism signpost pointing towards Ranganthittu. Just a couple of Kilometres down this road is the sanctuary.
Timings and Fee:
The park is open from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm. The charges are Rs. 25 per adult, Rs. 35 for four-wheeler parking and Rs. 25 for a still camera. You will have to hire a boat to see the birds and it will cost you Rs. 50 per head or Rs. 250 for an exclusive boat. The boat ride lasts for 20-30 minutes.
When you are boating in Ranganathittu, be careful not to put your hand inside the water, as they are infested with marsh crocodiles also known as the mugger.
Marsh or Mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris)Nearby places:
You are not likely to spend more than a couple of hourse in Raganathittu. So, you can spend the rest of your day visiting the nearby places. Here is a tourist map of Srirangapatna and Ranganathittu:
Nature lovers and historians alike will love Dariah Daulat Bagh or Tipu Sultan's Summer palace. It has beautiful landscaped gardens. From Ranganathittu, you have to come back a kilometre towards Bangalore and then take a right turn to reach this place. Here's a panoramic view of the place:
As you can see it has well maintained gardens with beautiful flowers. Where there are flowers, there are honey-bees:
Just a few kilometres down the same road is Sangam - where two branches of Cauvery meet. If you like boats, you can take a coracle ride here.
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