Birdwatching off to an early start as Sultanpur advances opening date

GURUGRAM: Sultanpur National Park that witnesses the arrival of at least 20,000 migratory birds , will open on September 16 this year instead of the usual October 1 date. From now, it will remain closed for just three months— from June 15 to Sep 15 — rather than five.

The decision was made after birding enthusiasts pointed out that many passage migratory birds come to the city in September.

“We were getting requests from birding enthusiasts that the park should be opened little early.

There are some bird sanctuaries that remain open throughout the year. However, since breeding season lasts till the end of July, it is safe to allow visitors only from mid-September,” said Vinod Kumar, additional principal chief conservator of forests, Haryana.

The park’s first visitor this year, French ambassador for environment Yann Wehrling, praised the conservation work being carried out in the park. "The parks are colourful and have rare species," remarked Wehrling after visiting the park on Thursday, on his first trip to India.

Birders welcomed the move. “Most of the breeding happens near and in the water bodies, which are far from the reach of birders. So it is not going to disturb birds,” said Pankaj Gupta from Delhi Bird Foundation, a Delhi- based NGO. He shared that till a few years ago, the park used toremain open throughout the year and some bird sanctuaries, including the one at Bharatpur, never shuts through the year.

Located 15 kilometer away from the city, Sultanpur National Park is visited by migratory birds that come from Siberia, Central Asia and Europe, and other parts of the world.