The Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is a very interesting Indian bird sanctuary that is located in the Karnataka state, in Mandya District. We are faced with the largest of the sanctuaries in this state, even if the covered area is just 0.67 square kilometers. There are basically 6 islets that are covered on the Kaveri river banks. You will see that the sanctuary is 3 km away from Srirangapatna, which is a really historic city, taking in thousands of visitors every month. While you will not want to visit this sanctuary every single month, when you do this during bird season, you will be delighted.
Park History
The actual islets appeared in the year 1648 thanks to the wishes of Mysore King Kantirava Narasimharaia Wadevar. Salim Ali, an ornithologist, was the first one that saw that these isles were a great nesting ground for many birds. Because of this, pressure was put and we are now faced with a sanctuary till 1940.
Bird watchers will be able to visit whenever they want but not when there is a lot of flooding, which is quite common because of the fact that heavy rain can read towards the KRS Dam to release water. During the heavy floods, boating is not allowed and the tourists will only be able to watch the birds from a large distance.
Bird Watching In Ranganathittu
The Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary houses around 170 birds. The most appreciated ones are Asian openbill storks, wooly-necked storks, common spoonbills, painted storks, lesser whistling ducks, black-headed ibis, egrets, Oriental darters, herons and cormorants. If You visit as a birdwatcher in the period between November and June, you will be able to see around 30 species. The most birds are visible in the mid-December period, with around 40,000 birds being present, which is quite a treat for everyone.
If you want to enjoy birdwatching here, you can opt for ranger guided boat tours. They are basically available every single day and you can see many otters, bats and crocodiles besides the birds. You cannot find lodging in the sanctuary and visitors will usually need to stay in Srirangapatna or Mysore.
