• Jan 25 2016
• Admin
• 12
• 3332
• Travel

Raiganj Bird & Wildlife Sanctuary

Raiganj Wildlife Sanctuary Also known as Kulik Bird Sanctuary, is situated near Raiganj in Uttar Dinajpur of West Bengal. The area of the sanctuary is around 1.30 km. The core area is about 0.14 km and the rest is buffer area. The Kulik river flows around part of the sanctuary and acts as the boundary in its eastern and southern parts. The shape of the sanctuary is that of the English alphabet "U". The sanctuary has a network of artificial canals connected with the river Kulik.

During monsoon the river water enters the sanctuary, which supports a wide variety of food for the birds, particularly for the Asian openbill, whose main diet is apple snail. The sanctuary is home to 164 species of birds.

Several types of migratory birds arrive here each year from South Asian countries and coastal regions. They start arriving from June. The migratory species includes open-bill storks, egrets, night herons and cormorants. The resident birds are kites, flycatchers, owls, kingfishers, woodpeckers, drongoes, etc.

The bird sanctuary is home to 164 species of birds, and some 70,000 to 80,000 migratory birds visit the sanctuary every year.