Ranganathittu, with its wealth of breeding birds year-round, should seem like the quintessential birders’ haunt. To my surprise, I have come across many birdwatchers who tend to diss and shun this riverside bird sanctuary, the largest in Karnataka. Apparently they are turned off by the crowds, the un-challenging photographic pickings, and the apparent artifice of the environs. Each of these complaints has merit, and each deserves dissection.
Ranganathittu, being on the busy Bangalore-Mysore highway and close to Srirangapatna and Sangam, gets a lot of tourist traffic. The boat rides in the river offer many people some of their first glimpses even of common birds like Herons, Cormorants and Spot-billed Ducks, but in a dramatic setting these sightings become memorable. In a sense, crowds are good for Ranganathittu, as long as they are managed, entertained and informed. If at least one in twenty tourists return slightly sensitised (am I being delusional?) we consider that a win. One hopes, however, that the boatmen/guides would not fib so much about where the birds migrate from – that needn’t be the selling point. At random, I was informed that Spoonbills come from New Zealand and that Painted Storks come from… where else but Siberia, that most maligned of birding El Dorados! Out of courtesy (and the fact that boatman was in control) I restrained myself from calling his bluff by gently suggesting that most birds are locally migratory and that not all need to come here from far away.
Now, about photographers finding these subjects dull. It’s trying enough having to travel with photographers and their phallic lenses on wildlife safaris. The birds at Ranganathittu offer great nesting shots. The nests are often exposed, as are the chicks. This shouldn’t pose a big ethical quandary for the birder. This being a sanctuary, one imagines that the disturbance caused to the birds is minimal. Stepping off the boats onto the islands is prohibited, and that keeps the hungrier photographers from getting adventurous. Usually, groups of ten tourists get their own boat. For a little extra, the boatman will take you to the far corners of the river as a bonus.
The islands in Ranganathittu are reinforced by sand-filled plastic sacks. Some of these are exposed and diminish the aesthetics and ‘natural’ quality of the landscape. An eyesore, yes, but perhaps a necessary one. During the monsoon, excess water in the Krishna Raja Sagar reservoir is released into the river, often causing floods. Serious flooding tends to erode the islands and wash away nests. In recent years, some terrible avian casualties have been recorded here.
That much said, Ranganathittu continues to be a great destination for birders. Can you think of getting that close to the near-threatened Great Thick-knee anywhere else? Or being able to observe Black-crowned Night Herons nest and roost and hatch their improbable-looking young? Or to marvel at the mystery of marsh crocodiles as they swim and bask. On the bank, the gardens offer the chance of intimate encounters with Stork-billed Kingfishers, Tickell’s Blue Flycatchers and Indian Grey Hornbills.
I was at Ranganathittu last weekend after eleven years. I was glad to see the Eurasian Spoonbills, which seem to thrive only in riverine habitats such as this. The nesting Spot-billed Pelicans and River Terns made for splendid viewing. And, just as a bonus, the boatman rowed us past the mud nests of the Streak-throated Swallows.
Here’s a link to my eBird checklist of birds seen at Ranganathittu last week.
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