Keoladeo Ghana National Park or Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary as it is more commonly known as a wonder of the natural world as the Taj Mahal is to the human world. Once the royal hunting reserve of the princely family of Bharatpur, today it is a reserved sanctuary habituating richest variety of birds. Created by the Maharaja of Bharatpur by diverting water from an irrigation canal (named Ghana) to the shallow depression, this 29 sq. km. reserve was a prominent feature for its wild fowl hunting expeditions. Tales of duck shoots hosted by Maharaja for British luminaries abound one expedition records 4273 ducks and geese massacred in a single day by Lord Linlithgrow and his party in 1938.
This rich aquatic plant and animal life in the lowlands holding water is an ageless avian paradise for resident and migratory birds. Keoladeo Ghana is home to about 400 bird species of which 120 species nest here. Exotic migratory birds from Siberia, Central Asia and China are the regular visitors – the most closely associated with park being the Siberian Crane.
It was causeways which can be negotiated on foot, bicycle or bicycle rickshaw available outside the main gate of the sanctuary. A boat ride in the shallow water allows viewing the waterfowl of close quarters. Motor vehicles in the park are forbidden. Open round the year, winter season (October to March) is the best time for viewing the bird life. 
Siberian and cranes are the highlights of the park. Called ‘lily of birds’ the Siberian Crane is the most famous of the four species of cranes – the other three are resident. The elegant Indian bird Saras is revered and as per Hindu mythology it is celebrated for its fidelity. It mates with the same partner throughout the life and Bharatpur remains the only place where they may still be seen. The demoiselle crane (Kurja) migrates to the sanctuary in large flocks late in the month of September and breed here. Of the total 17 species of Storks, seven can be spotted at Keoladeo. The painted stork is symbolic of the national park where it nests in colonies on tree tops. The park also has species of animals such as chital, blackbuck, sambhar, wild boar, various species of cats, mongoose, porcupine, hare and pythons.
Keoladeo Ghana National Park (Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary) is a Ramsar site under the Ramsar Convention, and also a World Heritage site. The park is unique in being bound by a stone-masonry wall and agricultural fields and villages in immediate surroundings, thus lacking a buffer zone. Keoladeo Ghana National Park (Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary) besides the wetland, contains various other habitats from woodland, scrub and pasture to denuded saline patches. Wetlands comprise half the area, while the others occupy the rest. The wetland is a part of the Indogangetic Great Plains, and for most of the year the effective area is only 10 sq kms. The rest of the area remains dry. The soil is predominantly alluvial, with some of it clay due to the regular inundations. The unique ecosystem of Keoladeo Ghana makes its preservation an essential aspect of the preservation of Indian Wildlife.
