Sultanpur National Park

Sultanpur is a nice place to go bird watching.

The Park is open from 0630 to 1800 from April 1 to September 30 (it closes at 1630 during "winter", from October 1 to March 31). You might have some trouble getting in at 0630 (you can always sneak in through the Rosy Pelican (the next gate to the left), but I didn't tell you that).

The entrance fee (in INR) is: 5 for an Indian and 40 for a foreigner. Parking fees: 2 for a bicycle, 5 for other two-wheelers, 10 for a car, and 50 for a heavy vehicle. You pay 25 to take a still camera inside, and 500 for a video camera (but if your equipment is imposing enough to look "professional", you get to pay 5000 instead, perhaps with a 2500 license for business use).

If you're tempted to round off a pleasant morning with breakfast at the Rosy Pelican, the Aloo-ke-Paranthe are nice; but be prepared for their legendary incompetence. Going hungry might well be preferable.

Directions

It's easy to find Sultanpur, but the road is awful. Be prepared for an unending series of speed-breakers that will scrape the bottom of your car as you go over them, and potholes that expose the Earth's mantle. (Note: don't miss the updates below.)

  1. Go down NH8 towards Jaipur. You will first cross the Gurgaon border, then (much later) a roundabout with Signature Towers to your left (it's a huge green-glass building), then IBM and USHA (also to the left). Go straight on past the Sohna/Jaipur/Gurgaon sign.
  2. Turn right at Hero Honda chowk, the next big traffic light.
  3. The road goes on past a small crossing, then curves left. Shortly afterwards, there is another crossroads with a Police signpost to the right. Turn left here. (You are now on the Basai road.)
  4. Keep going. The road curves right, then back again, followed by a railway crossing (the dirt track to Basai is to the right immediately after you cross), and the HUDA water treatment plant to the left. You are now 8km from Sultanpur.
  5. The road curves left (Om Indu Charitable hospital is to the right) and reaches a toll booth (private vehicles don't need to stop here). A short while later, a big green overhead sign announces a fork. Go left towards Farrukhnagar and Jhajjar (the other road goes to Bahadurgarh).
  6. About 3km later, you will see the Police post at Sadhrana to your right. Keep going straight, and you will see the Park entrance (it's right on the main road) to your left.

Update (2007-12-15): The route mentioned above (specifically, the entrance to the Basai road) is closed indefinitely because a flyover is being constructed near the railway crossing. Here's an alternate route, which replaces everything from step 3 onwards in the description above.

  1. (Same as above.)
  2. (Same as above.)
  3. You will reach a small crossing, just after some multi-storeyed buildings to your right and, if you can see it, a sign board for the Rosy Pelican resort at Sultanpur. Turn left here. (You are now on the Pataudi Road.)
  4. Go straight on (for about six kilometres), with due caution for the extremely high speed breakers. Pass a small village with an idol-studded temple to your right, and keep going.
  5. You will come to a very large Basmati rice factory on your right (big factory buildings; you can't miss them). Turn right immediately after the factory (there's another Rosy "Pelicon" sign board to the left here).
  6. Go straight on this (smaller) road. You will pass the railway crossing at Garhi village. Keep going straight (ignoring the right turn after the village).
  7. This narrow road goes through farmland for some time, and emerges at a (very small) crossing on the road just before the Sadhrana Police post mentioned above. There is a white monument to your right at this point. Turn left onto the larger road here.
  8. Go straight on, pass the Police post, and proceed to the Sultanpur gate.

Update (2008-02-13): The right turn from Hero Honda chowk (2 above) has now been closed. There are two alternatives:

  1. Go straight for another 5km and take a U-turn just before the toll plaza, then come back to Hero Honda chowk and turn left, or
  2. Turn right under the flyover at Rajeev chowk (exit 10) and take the left arm of the fork (which appears immediately after the turn). Go straight down this road until you see a green mosque to your left. Turn left after this, and then take the right hand fork. If you continue straight on (the road is reportedly very bad), you'll reach the (now closed) Basai road, where you have to turn left and then continue on until you can turn onto the Pataudi road.
  3. You can also turn left before the mosque and turn left again to enter a service lane that runs parallel to NH8 until Hero Honda chowk, but the last part of this road has been made one-way, so I do not recommend this.

(Thanks to Ravi for this update.)

Checklist

Here's a brief checklist of the birds I've conclusively identified in Sultanpur:

  1. Barred Buttonquail (Turnix suscitator)
  2. Black Francolin (Francolinus francolinus)
  3. Grey Francolin (Francolinus pondicerianus)
  4. Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus)
  5. Greylag Goose (Anser anser)
  6. Bar-Headed Goose (Anser indicus)
  7. Lesser Whistling Teal (Dendrocygna javanica)
  8. Comb Duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos)
  9. Gadwall (Anas strepera)
  10. Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope)
  11. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
  12. Spot-Billed Duck (Anas poecilorhyncha)
  13. Common Teal (Anas crecca)
  14. Garganey (Anas querquedula)
  15. Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)
  16. Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)
  17. Common Pochard (Aythya ferina)
  18. Eurasian Wryneck (Jynx torquilla)
  19. Yellow-Crowned Woodpecker (Dendrocopos mahrattensis)
  20. Black-Rumped Flameback (Dinopium benghalense)
  21. Brown-Headed Barbet (Megalaima zeylanica)
  22. Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala)
  23. Indian Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros birostris)
  24. Common Hoopoe (Upupa epops)
  25. Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis)
  26. White-Throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis)
  27. Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis)
  28. Green Bee-Eater (Merops orientalis)
  29. Common Hawk Cuckoo (Heirococcyx varius)
  30. Sirkeer Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus leschenaultii)
  31. Greater Coucal (Centropus sinensis)
  32. Alexandrine Parakeet (Psittacula eupatria)
  33. Rose-Ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri)
  34. Plum-Headed Parakeet (Psittacula cyanocephala)
  35. House Swift (Apus affinis)
  36. Spotted Owlet (Athene brama)
  37. Rock Pigeon (Columba livia)
  38. Laughing Dove (Streptopelia senegalensis)
  39. Red Collared Dove (Streptopelia tranquebarica)
  40. Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
  41. Yellow-Footed Green Pigeon (Treron phoenicoptera)
  42. Common Crane (Grus grus)
  43. Sarus Crane (Grus antigone)
  44. White-Breasted Waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus)
  45. Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio)
  46. Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
  47. Common Coot (Fulica atra)
  48. Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago)
  49. Common Redshank (Tringa totanus)
  50. Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)
  51. Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus)
  52. Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)
  53. Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis)
  54. Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)
  55. Ruff (Philomachus pugnax)
  56. Indian Courser (Cursorius coromandelicus)
  57. Black-Winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)
  58. Bronze-Winged Jacana (Metopidius indicus)
  59. Red-Wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus)
  60. Yellow-Wattled Lapwing (Vanellus malarbaricus)
  61. White-Tailed Lapwing (Vanellus leucurus)
  62. Black-Headed Gull (Larus ridibundus)
  63. River Tern (Sterna aurantia)
  64. Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
  65. Black-Shouldered Kite (Elanus caeruleus)
  66. Black Kite (Milvus migrans)
  67. Oriental Honey-Buzzard (Pernis ptilorhyncus)
  68. Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela)
  69. Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus)
  70. Eurasian Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)
  71. Shikra (Accipiter badius)
  72. White-Eyed Buzzard (Butastur teesa)
  73. Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)
  74. Greater Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga)
  75. Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca)
  76. Bonelli's Eagle (Hieraaetus fasciatus)
  77. Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus)
  78. Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
  79. Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
  80. Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis)
  81. Darter (Anhinga melanogaster)
  82. Little Cormorant (Phalacrocorax niger)
  83. Indian Cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscicollis)
  84. Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
  85. Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
  86. Intermediate Egret (Mesophoyx intermedia)
  87. Great Egret (Casmerodius albus)
  88. Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
  89. Indian Pond Heron (Ardeola grayii)
  90. Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
  91. Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)
  92. Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)
  93. Black-Headed Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus)
  94. Black Ibis (Pseudibis papillosa)
  95. Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)
  96. Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala)
  97. Woolly-Necked Stork (Ciconia episcopus)
  98. Black-Necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus)
  99. Rufous-Tailed Shrike (Lanius isabellinus)
  100. Bay-Backed Shrike (Lanius vittatus)
  101. Long-Tailed Shrike (Lanius schach)
  102. Southern Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis)
  103. Rufous Tree Pie (Dendrocitta vagabunda)
  104. House Crow (Corvus splendens)
  105. Large-Billed Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos)
  106. Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus)
  107. Small Minivet (Pericrocotus cinnamomeus)
  108. Long-Tailed Minivet (Pericrocotus ethologus)
  109. Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus)
  110. Asian Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi)
  111. Common Woodshrike (Tephrodornis pondicerianus)
  112. Red-Throated Flycatcher (Ficedula albicilla)
  113. Red-Breasted Flycatcher (Ficedula parva)
  114. Grey-Headed Canary Flycatcher (Culicicapa ceylonensis)
  115. Verditer Flycatcher (Eumyias thalassina)
  116. Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica)
  117. Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis)
  118. Indian Robin (Saxicoloides fulicata)
  119. Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)
  120. Siberian Stonechat (Saxicola torquata maura)
  121. Pied Bushchat (Saxicola caprata)
  122. Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti)
  123. Variable Wheatear (Oenanthe picata)
  124. Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
  125. Asian Pied Starling (Sturnus contra)
  126. Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis)
  127. Bank Myna (Acridotheres ginginianus)
  128. Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
  129. Wire-Tailed Swallow (Hirundo smithii)
  130. Red-Rumped Swallow (Hirundo daurica)
  131. Streak-Throated Swallow (Hirundo fluvicola)
  132. Red-Vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer)
  133. Plain Prinia (Prinia inornata)
  134. Graceful Prinia (Prinia gracilis)
  135. Ashy Prinia (Prinia socialis)
  136. Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis)
  137. Oriental White-Eye (Zosterops palpebrosus)
  138. Moustached Warbler (Acrocephalus melanopogon)
  139. Blyth's Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus dumetorum)
  140. Booted Warbler (Hippolais caligata)
  141. Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca)
  142. Orphean Warbler (Sylvia hortensis)
  143. Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius)
  144. Siberian Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita tristis)
  145. Sulpher-Bellied Warbler (Phylloscopus griseolus)
  146. Brooks's Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus subviridis)
  147. Hume's Warbler (Phylloscopus humei)
  148. Greenish Warbler (Phylloscopus trochiloides)
  149. Bristled Grassbird (Chaetornis striatus)
  150. Yellow-Eyed Babbler (Chrysomma sinense)
  151. Common Babbler (Turdoides caudatus)
  152. Large Grey Babbler (Turdoides malcolmi)
  153. Jungle Babbler (Turdoides striata)
  154. Indian Bushlark (Mirafra erythroptera)
  155. Ashy-Crowned Sparrow Lark (Eremopterix griseus)
  156. Greater Short-Toed Lark (Calandrella brachydactyla)
  157. Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)
  158. Oriental Skylark (Alauda gulgula)
  159. Purple Sunbird (Nectarinia asiatica)
  160. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
  161. Chestnut-Shouldered Petronia (Petronia xanthocollis)
  162. White Wagtail (Motacilla alba)
  163. White-Browed Wagtail (Motacilla maderaspatensis)
  164. Citrine Wagtail (Motacilla citreola)
  165. Paddyfield Pipit (Anthus rufulus)
  166. Tawny Pipit (Anthus campestris)
  167. Long-Billed Pipit (Anthus similis)
  168. Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis)
  169. Olive-Backed Pipit (Anthus hodgsoni)
  170. Black-Breasted Weaver (Ploceus benghalensis)
  171. Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus)
  172. Red Munia (Amandava amandava)
  173. Indian Silverbill (Lonchura malabarica)
  174. Red-Headed Bunting (Emberiza bruniceps)

This checklist was last updated on 2007-12-15.

The Delhibirds web site has a Sultanpur checklist, but it's not actively maintained, and many entries include inaccurate status details.

Abhijit Menon-Sen <ams@toroid.org>
2007-12-15