The main causeway and its flanking wetlands are the core. Painted storks nest in colonies directly above the path, along with cormorants, darters, spoonbills and open-billed storks, with the nests close enough to watch chicks being fed.

The shallow blocks across the park hold the wintering wildfowl for which Bharatpur was created — bar-headed geese, northern pintail, gadwall and shoveler in thousands — along with waders and, in the reeds, bitterns and crakes.

The dry woodland and scrub on the higher ground is where the resident species are: Indian scops owl and spotted owlet in known roost trees, several woodpeckers, and the nilgai and spotted deer that wander the paths.

The Python Point area is exactly what it sounds like — rock pythons basking at the mouths of burrows, easily seen in the cooler months.

November to February is the season, when the wintering birds are present and the weather is comfortable. Water management has been an ongoing issue here: in years when the park receives insufficient water, bird numbers fall sharply, so check recent reports rather than assuming.

Practicalities

Bharatpur is a short drive from Agra and around four hours from Delhi, which makes Keoladeo the easiest serious birding stop on the Golden Triangle.

Hire one of the park's licensed cycle-rickshaw drivers — many are exceptional birders who have worked the same paths for decades and will find far more than you would alone. Walking is free and pleasant; bicycles can be hired at the gate.