Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary

Fast Facts:

Location: Located in Srirangapatna in the Mandya district of Karnataka state.

Area: 0.67 sq km in area

Nearest Airport: Bangalore airport

Nearest Town: Srirangapatna

Safari: Boating

Entry Fee: The entrance fee for Indian visitors is 50 INR while the foreign visitors are required to pay 300 INR for the visit.

Best time to visit: Throughout the year

Number of Avifauna species: around 170 avifauna species

Overview:

Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is situated on the banks of the Kaveri River and is located in near Mysore in Karnataka. The sanctuary received the title of Bird Sanctuary in the year 1940 after the renowned ornithologist Dr. Salim Ali pressurized the government to declare Ranganathittu as a bird sanctuary. Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary also encompasses the six isles on the river as the part of their sanctuary. Each every a large number of bird lovers and researcher come to explore the sanctuary and the sight the avian inhabitants from close quarters. The sanctuary is also famous for being visited by various migratory birds from far off places like Australia, North America and Siberia.

While being in the park one can enjoy a boat ride to the six islets for catching the views of a number of species of birds. The experienced guides of the place called Oarsmen would take you to some famous bird watching spots where you can observe birds in flocks.

Climate:

The temperature in Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary during the most part of the year hovers between 23 to 29 °C.

Birds:

Roughly around 170 birds have been recorded in Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary. The various species of birds that one is expected to encounter on a visit to Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary includes Painted Stork, Asian Openbill Stork, Common Spoonbill, Woolly-necked Stork, Black-headed Ibis, Lesser Whistling Duck, Indian Shag, Stork-billed Kingfisher a and partridge.

Flora in Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary:

Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary features rich flora spread across the island. The various dominant species of plant found in the area include bamboo groves, Acacia, Eucalyptus, Terminalia arjun and Pandanus trees. This wildlife reserve is also home to some of the endemic and threatened lily called Iphigenia Mysorensis of the family Colchicaceae.

Entry Fee:

The entry fee for the foreign nationals is 300 INR while for Indian visitors is 25 INR. One needs to pay extra charges for boat safari and vehicle entry.

Best Time to Visit:

The Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary can be visited all throughout the year in all seasons

Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary During Monsoon:

This bird sanctuary receives heavy rainfall during the monsoon month of June, when the southwest monsoon is at its peaks in Karnataka. It is advised to avoid the visits to the park during the monsoon months. During the monsoon season, the conditions of water lodging and mild flooding can take place in this area.

How to Reach:

The best way to reach the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is boarding a flight to Bangalore or Mysore as these two are the nearest airports from the park. Another convenient option to reach this Bird sanctuary is by train. The nearest rail heads to this bird sanctuary are located in Bangalore and Mysore. The Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is very well connected with other parts of the state by an effective road route. Though a lot of accommodation options are present near this bird sanctuary, but still many visitors choose to stay in Mysore, as this majestic city has wide accommodation options suiting to every travelers need.

Travel Tips:

Please take note that advance booking and gaining travel related information will help you in exploring this bird sanctuary a smooth affair.
Travelers are strictly instructed not to litter with things they brought along with them.
Boating at Ranganathittu Bird Sancutary is a great excursion. Travellers can hire the boats available at the sanctuary which would take you on a ride along the river for a splendid sight of migratory birds of different species. One can also spot crocodiles, bats and Otters.