Rajasthan: Pelicans draw tourists to Keoladeo National Park

Over 500 Pelican birds have migrated to Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan with tourists thronging the park to watch the avian visitors. Pelican birds become the center of attraction every year for bird watchers.

Bharatpur (Rajasthan):Over 500 Pelican birds have migrated to Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan with tourists thronging the park to watch the avian visitors. Pelican birds become the center of attraction every year for bird watchers.

According to experts, Pelicans, who migrated to the National Park till the last week of February, still continue to arrive at the park. Environmentalist Devendra Singh said that last year, the pelican birds did not visit the Park. "Due to low rainfall, the park did not have enough water reservoirs. As a result, only a few pairs of Pelicans were seen in the park,” he said. This year, Singh said, there was enough water from Panchna Dam and proper rainfall along with natural food in the park which is why more than 500 pelicans have camped in the D block of the park.

Pelicans are one of the largest sea birds on Earth. When the snow starts falling in Siberia and Europe, these birds migrate from there to reach Bharatpur Keoladeo National Park. The bird’s long beak and the bag hanging on the neck are its special identity. Pelican birds can store a sufficient amount of food and water from the reservoir together in this pouch for slow consumption. Pelican bird weighs up to 9 to 15 kg and can fly to a great height. The Park is recognized worldwide for migratory birds. About 400 species of birds come here during the rainy and winter seasons. The park is also rich in biodiversity and medicinal flora.