JAIPUR:
Black-capped kingfisher
has arrived at
Keoladeo National Park
(KNP), bringing smiles to the faces of
bird enthusiasts
. It is after 15 long years that the bird has been sighted at the park.
Ornithologists are now hoping to spot many other bird species, including the Siberian white crane.
A haven for migratory waterfowls for several years, the park was fighting for its existence for lack of flowing water. But thanks to good monsoon this year, its aquatic ecology seems to be reviving.
It was just two years back that the entire flock of 1,500plus painted storks had abandoned the park in the middle of their breeding season, leaving behind hundreds of eggs which were later devoured by crows and other carrion birds.
It is after two decades the park received flowing monsoon water as it traditionally did. The last time this World Heritage Site and a waterfowl refuge of international repute received water like this was in 1996. The credit for the park's revival also goes to sustained efforts by the park's administration. “Eradication of juliflora (a shrub) and a sustained water supply to the park by diverting water from Chiksana canal and Goverdhan drain is bearing fruit,“ said Ansar Khan, the person who spotted the black-capped kingfisher.