Winged visitors flock Ranganthittu bird sanctuary

Mysore, Dec 29: Famed Ranganthittu bird sanctuary, near here, is alive again, with winged visitors from different parts of the world descending on the sanctuary for a few months' sojourn.

Much to the delight of forest department officials and bird watchers, birds have started arriving in the sanctuary, comprising a group of six islets in river Cauvery.

Sanctuary sources told UNI that regular visitors from across the globe include spoonbill from Australia, open billed stork from the US, snake bird from Russia, large cormorant from China, painted stork from Siberia, great stone silver, whistling tea, silver torn, Indian cliff swallow, cattle egret, little egret and pond heron.

About 5,000 varieties of birds were expected to arrive here by the second week of January. After breeding, they would begin their return flight by February-end or first week of March, the sources said.

The sanctuary, which wore a deserted look till recently, now greeted visitors with chirpy sounds of birds perched on trees and bushes.

The 60-acre sanctuary also had a boating facility for tourists keen on having a closer look at the birds. Lucky ones would get an opportunity to see crocodiles taking siesta on the rocks.

The number of tourists frequenting the sanctuary had risen this year, compared to 1,65,000 people in 2005-06. So far this year, 1,35,000 people have visited and another five lakh people were expected by March-end, the sources said.

UNI