Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary
Encyclopedia
Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary also known as Paksi Kashi of Karnataka is a Bird Sanctuary in the Mandya District of the state of Karnataka
in India
. It is a very small sanctuary, being only 67 km². in area, and comprises six islets on the banks of the Kaveri River. Ranganthittu is located three kilometers away from the historic town of Srirangapatna
and 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) north of Mysore.
observed that the isles formed an important nesting ground for bird
s, and persuaded the Wodeyar
kings of Mysore to declare the area a wildlife sanctuary in 1940.
ecozone.
arjun (Arjun tree), bamboo
groves, and Pandanus
trees. Eucalyptus
and Acacia
trees have also been planted, which might lead to long-term eradication of native species. The endemic
and threatened lily Iphigenia mysorensis of the family Colchicaceae
grows in the sanctuary.
, colonies of Flying Fox and common small mammals like Common Palm Civet
and Indian Gray Mongoose
and the monitor lizard.
The Mugger Crocodile
or Marsh Crocodile is a common inhabitant of the riverine reed beds.
Breeding water birds include Painted Stork
, Asian Openbill Stork
, Common Spoonbill
, Woolly-necked Stork
, Black-headed Ibis
, Lesser Whistling Duck
, Indian Shag, Stork-billed Kingfisher
and other common birds like egret
s, cormorant
s, Oriental Darter
, and heron
s. The Great Stone Plover
, and River Tern
also nest here. The park is home to a large flock of Streak-throated Swallow
s.
. The seasons for visiting the park are: June - November (during the nesting season of the water birds). The best time to watch migratory birds is usually December but it can vary year to year.
(3 km)
Nearest City: Mysore (19 km)
Nearest Railhead: Srirangapatna
Nearest Airport: Mysore Airport Service Starts October 1 2010
Nearest Highway: Bangalore
- Mysore highway
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is a very small sanctuary, being only 67 km². in area, and comprises six islets on the banks of the Kaveri River. Ranganthittu is located three kilometers away from the historic town of Srirangapatna
Srirangapatna
Srirangapatna is a town in Mandya district of the Indian state of Karnataka...
and 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) north of Mysore.
History of the Park
The islets came into being when a dam across the Kaveri river was built in the 18th century. The ornithologist Dr. Salim AliSalim Ali (ornithologist)
Sálim Moizuddin Abdul Ali was an Indian ornithologist and naturalist. Known as the "birdman of India", Salim Ali was among the first Indians to conduct systematic bird surveys across India and his bird books helped develop ornithology...
observed that the isles formed an important nesting ground for bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s, and persuaded the Wodeyar
Wodeyar
The Wodeyar dynasty was an Indian royal dynasty that ruled the Kingdom of Mysore from 1399 to 1947, until the independence of India from British rule and the subsequent unification of the Indian dominion and princely states into the Republic of India.The spelling Wodeyar/Wadiyar is found in most...
kings of Mysore to declare the area a wildlife sanctuary in 1940.
Biomes
Most of the park falls under the Riparian biome, corresponding to the IndomalayaIndomalaya
The Indomalaya ecozone is one of the eight ecozones that cover the planet's land surface. It extends across most of South and Southeast Asia and into the southern parts of East Asia....
ecozone.
Flora
Riverine reed beds cover the banks of the islands, while the islands themselves are covered in broadleaf forests, with dominant species being TerminaliaTerminalia (plant)
Terminalia is a genus of large trees of the flowering plant family Combretaceae, comprising around 100 species distributed in tropical regions of the world. This genus gets it name from Latin terminus, referring to the fact that the leaves appear at the very tips of the shoots.Trees of this genus...
arjun (Arjun tree), bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
groves, and Pandanus
Pandanus
Pandanus is a genus of monocots with about 600 known species. They are numerous palmlike dioecious trees and shrubs native of the Old World tropics and subtropics. They are classified in the order Pandanales, family Pandanaceae.-Overview:...
trees. Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
and Acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
trees have also been planted, which might lead to long-term eradication of native species. The endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
and threatened lily Iphigenia mysorensis of the family Colchicaceae
Colchicaceae
Colchicaceae is a botanical name of a family of flowering plants.The APG III system, of 2009 , does recognize such a family and places it in the order Liliales, in the clade monocots, and regards the family as including some two hundred species of herbaceous perennials with rhizomes or corms.The...
grows in the sanctuary.
Fauna
The islands are host to numerous small mammals, including Bonnet MacaqueBonnet Macaque
The bonnet macaque is a macaque endemic to southern India. Its distribution is limited by the Indian Ocean on three sides and the Godavari and Tapti Rivers along with a related competing species of rhesus macaque in the north....
, colonies of Flying Fox and common small mammals like Common Palm Civet
Common Palm Civet
The Asian Palm Civet , also called Toddy Cat, is a small member of the Viverridae family native to South and Southeast Asia...
and Indian Gray Mongoose
Indian Gray Mongoose
The Indian Gray Mongoose or Common Grey Mongoose is a species of mongoose mainly found in southern Asia mainly India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and some other parts of Asia. The gray mongoose is commonly found in open forests, scrub lands and cultivated fields, often close to human habitation...
and the monitor lizard.
The Mugger Crocodile
Mugger Crocodile
The mugger crocodile , also called the Indian, Indus, Persian, or marsh crocodile, is found throughout the Indian subcontinent and the surrounding countries...
or Marsh Crocodile is a common inhabitant of the riverine reed beds.
Breeding water birds include Painted Stork
Painted Stork
The Painted Stork is a large wading bird in the stork family. It is found in the wetlands of the plains of tropical Asia south of the Himalayas in South Asia and extending into Southeast Asia. Their distinctive pink tertial feathers give them their name. They forage in flocks in shallow waters...
, Asian Openbill Stork
Asian Openbill Stork
The Asian Openbill or Asian Openbill Stork, Anastomus oscitans, is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to Southeast Asia....
, Common Spoonbill
Common Spoonbill
The Eurasian Spoonbill or Common Spoonbill is a wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae, breeding in southern Eurasia from Spain to Japan, and also in North Africa. In Europe, only The Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Hungary and Greece have sizeable populations...
, Woolly-necked Stork
Woolly-necked Stork
The Woolly-necked Stork or White necked stork , Ciconia episcopus, is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It can also be known as the Espiscopos....
, Black-headed Ibis
Black-headed Ibis
The Black-headed Ibis or Oriental White Ibis is a species of wading bird of the ibis family Threskiornithidae which breeds in South Asia and Southeast Asia from Pakistan to India, Sri Lanka east up to Japan...
, Lesser Whistling Duck
Lesser Whistling Duck
The Lesser Whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica, also known as Indian Whistling Duck, is a small whistling duck which breeds in South Asia and southeast Asia...
, Indian Shag, Stork-billed Kingfisher
Stork-billed Kingfisher
The Stork-billed Kingfisher, Pelargopsis capensis , is a tree kingfisher which is widely but sparsely distributed in the tropical Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India and Sri Lanka to Indonesia. This kingfisher is essentially resident throughout its range.This is a very large...
and other common birds like egret
Egret
An egret is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes during the breeding season. Many egrets are members of the genera Egretta or Ardea which contain other species named as herons rather than egrets...
s, cormorant
Cormorant
The bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed.- Names :...
s, Oriental Darter
Oriental Darter
The Oriental Darter or Indian Darter , sometimes called Snakebird, is a water bird of tropical South Asia and Southeast Asia.-Taxonomy:...
, and heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
s. The Great Stone Plover
Great Thick-knee
The Great Stone-curlew or Great Thick-knee is a large wader which is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka into South-east Asia....
, and River Tern
River Tern (bird)
The Indian River Tern or just River Tern is a bird in the tern family . It is a resident breeder along inland rivers from Iran east through Pakistan into India and Myanmar to Thailand, where it is uncommon. It does not occur in Sri Lanka...
also nest here. The park is home to a large flock of Streak-throated Swallow
Streak-throated Swallow
The Streak-throated Swallow or the Indian Cliff Swallow is a species of swallow found in South Asia....
s.
Activities
Ranger-guided boat tours of the isles are available throughout the day, and are a good way to watch birds, crocodiles, otters and bats. There is no lodging at the tiny sanctuary, so visitors typically have to stay over at Mysore or SrirangapatnaSrirangapatna
Srirangapatna is a town in Mandya district of the Indian state of Karnataka...
. The seasons for visiting the park are: June - November (during the nesting season of the water birds). The best time to watch migratory birds is usually December but it can vary year to year.
Accessibility
Nearest Town: SrirangapatnaSrirangapatna
Srirangapatna is a town in Mandya district of the Indian state of Karnataka...
(3 km)
Nearest City: Mysore (19 km)
Nearest Railhead: Srirangapatna
Srirangapatna
Srirangapatna is a town in Mandya district of the Indian state of Karnataka...
Nearest Airport: Mysore Airport Service Starts October 1 2010
Nearest Highway: Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
- Mysore highway