World Sparrow Day 2022: Bird Sanctuaries of Karnataka

Karnataka welcomes all with a harmonious blend of many melodies of birds chirping. Did you know that Karnataka is frequented by serious bird watchers too from across the globe? This world Sparrow day 2022 visit these bird sanctuaries in Karnataka not just to witness sparrows but also other 513 species of birds.The Uttara Kannada regions and a major part of Coorg and Mysore was of great interest to ornithologists and hence have been densely documented. From commonly found passerines or perching birds to the rarest non-passerines, Karnataka has seen a wide variety of birds. For amatuer bird watchers who cannot tell a cuckoo from a crow (or say slightly better than that), well, technical names dont have to make sense at all. Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder right? So just go out there and enjoy the different colours and build of these curious beings. The largest and the most popular of all bird sanctuaries in Karnataka is the one at Ranganthittu in Mandya district located 16 km North of Mysore. 170 birds including the painted stork (in pic) and Great Stone Plover have been recorded here. A sanctuary exclusive for peacocks is at the Bankapura fort in Haveri district. A thousand, if not more, peacocks and peahen are conserved in this sanctuary. Apart from the obvious, woodpeckers, magpie, babbler and great-horned owls can also be spotted here. Known for its aquatic birds that migrate each year, Attiveri was declared a bird sanctuary only in the year 2000. Located in Mundgod village near Hubli in Uttara Kannada district, Attiveri houses birds like the Darter or Snakebird (in pic), Cattle Egret, Indian and Little Cormorants and Black-headed Ibis among others.Photo Courtesy: itslife Located in Sorab taluk of Shimoga, the Gudavi bird sanctuary houses 217 different species of birds that belong to 48 families. June to October are the best seasons for bird lovers. The Magadi Bird Sanctuary is at the Magadi tank in Gadag, a biodiversity hotspot of Karnataka. Bar-headed geese (in pic) are the most commonly found here. Located in Sira taluk of Tumkur district, Kaggaladu is a wet land best suited for the migratory birds breeding season. Painted Storks and Grey Herons are common here. This is the largest painted Storks sanctuary in South India. Kokkare in Kannada means pelicans or storks both of which were categorised under near threatened category in 2009; bellur means white village. The villagers in this part of Maddur taluk at Mandya warmly treat the migratory birds as family. Though conservation efforts have been in progress on papers since a few years now, not much difference has been noted on ground. The second largest bird sanctuary in Karnataka, this is situated in the wetlands near Bonal village in Shorapur taluk of Yadgir district. 21 species of birds have been recorded here that include purple heron, white-necked stork among others.