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
Here's one of the many ways to get to Sultanpur:
- Go straight down NH8 towards Jaipur.
- You will cross the Gurgaon border (toll: INR21), then (later) the
IFFCO crossing, Signature Towers, the "Mini Secretariat" crossing, and
the Hero Honda factory crossing. Keep going until the first toll plaza,
and take a U-turn there.
- Drive 5km back and turn left at exit 12, across the road from the
Hero Honda factory. (One used to be able to turn right off the highway
at that crossing, but no longer; hence the extra 10km loop.)
- Keep going straight down this road, which becomes progressively
worse over the next couple of kilometres (past a medium-sized crossing),
and finally curves left and straightens to end at another crossroads.
(There is a lot of digging/construction happening here.)
- Turn left onto the much better metalled road here. You are now on
the Basai road, with shops on either side.
- The road goes on straight for a while, then curves right onto an
overpass/flyover over a railway line. The dirt track to the agricultural
fields at Basai is to the right immediately after you exit the flyover,
and the HUDA water treatment plant is to your left. You are now 8km from
Sultanpur.
- Go straight through the village of Dhankot (the road curves left,
goes past a petrol pump to the left, and then curves sharply right
again) and then straight on past a small toll tax station (only for
commercial vehicles). A couple of kilometres later, a big green overhead
sign announces a fork. Go left towards Farrukhnagar and Jhajjar (the
other road goes to Bahadurgarh).
- 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.
Checklist
Update 2010-02-15: This checklist is no longer actively
maintained, and I am not aware of an updated/maintained one. Links
welcome.
Here's a brief checklist of the birds I've conclusively identified in
Sultanpur:
- Black Francolin Francolinus francolinus
- Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus
- Barred Buttonquail Turnix suscitator
- Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus
- Lesser Whistling-duck Dendrocygna javanica
- Greylag Goose Anser anser
- Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus
- Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea
- Comb Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos
- Cotton Pygmy-goose Nettapus coromandelianus
- Gadwall Anas strepera
- Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope
- Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
- Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha
- Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
- Northern Pintail Anas acuta
- Garganey Anas querquedula
- Common Teal Anas crecca
- Common Pochard Aythya ferina
- Ferruginous Pochard Aythya nyroca
- Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
- Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla
- Yellow-crowned Woodpecker Dendrocopos mahrattensis
- Black-rumped Flameback Dinopium benghalense
- Brown-headed Barbet Megalaima zeylanica
- Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala
- Indian Grey Hornbill Ocyceros birostris
- Common Hoopoe Upupa epops
- European Roller Coracias garrulus
- Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis
- Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
- White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis
- Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis
- Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis
- Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus
- Blue-tailed Bee-eater Merops philippinus
- Pied Cuckoo Clamator jacobinus
- Common Hawk Cuckoo Hierococcyx varius
- Eurasian Cuckoo Cuculus canorus
- Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopacea
- Sirkeer Malkoha Phaenicophaeus leschenaultii
- Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis
- Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula eupatria
- Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri
- Plum-headed Parakeet Psittacula cyanocephala
- House Swift Apus affinis
- Barn Owl Tyto alba
- Collared Scops Owl Otus bakkamoena
- Spotted Owlet Athene brama
- Rock Pigeon Columba livia
- Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis
- Red Collared Dove Streptopelia tranquebarica
- Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
- Yellow-footed Green Pigeon Treron phoenicoptera
- Sarus Crane Grus antigone
- Common Crane Grus grus
- White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus
- Baillon's Crake Porzana pusilla
- Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio
- Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
- Common Coot Fulica atra
- Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles exustus
- Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago
- Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
- Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
- Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus
- Common Redshank Tringa totanus
- Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis
- Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
- Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus
- Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
- Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
- Little Stint Calidris minuta
- Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii
- Ruff Philomachus pugnax
- Bronze-winged Jacana Metopidius indicus
- Eurasian Thick-knee Burhinus oedicnemus
- Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
- Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta
- Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
- Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus
- Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus
- Yellow-wattled Lapwing Vanellus malarbaricus
- Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus
- White-tailed Lapwing Vanellus leucurus
- Indian Courser Cursorius coromandelicus
- Small Pratincole Glareola lactea
- Pallas's Gull Larus ichthyaetus
- Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus
- River Tern Sterna aurantia
- Osprey Pandion haliaetus
- Oriental Honey-buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus
- Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus
- Black Kite Milvus migrans
- White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla
- Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus
- Short-toed Snake Eagle Circaetus gallicus
- Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela
- Eurasian Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus
- Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus
- Shikra Accipiter badius
- Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
- White-eyed Buzzard Butastur teesa
- Common Buzzard Buteo buteo
- Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus
- Indian Spotted Eagle Aquila hastata
- Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga
- Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax
- Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis
- Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca
- Bonelli's Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus
- Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus
- Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
- Red-necked Falcon Falco chicquera
- Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
- Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
- Darter Anhinga melanogaster
- Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger
- Indian Cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscicollis
- Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
- Little Egret Egretta garzetta
- Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
- Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
- Great Egret Casmerodius albus
- Intermediate Egret Mesophoyx intermedia
- Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
- Indian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii
- Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
- Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
- Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus
- Black Ibis Pseudibis papillosa
- Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
- Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala
- Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans
- Woolly-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus
- Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus
- Rufous-tailed Shrike Lanius isabellinus
- Bay-backed Shrike Lanius vittatus
- Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach
- Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis
- Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda
- House Crow Corvus splendens
- Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos
- Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus
- Small Minivet Pericrocotus cinnamomeus
- Long-tailed Minivet Pericrocotus ethologus
- Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus
- Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus
- Asian Paradise-flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi
- Common Woodshrike Tephrodornis pondicerianus
- Orange-headed Thrush Zoothera citrina
- Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva
- Red-throated Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla
- Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis
- Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassina
- Bluethroat Luscinia svecica
- Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis
- Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicata
- Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros
- Siberian Stonechat Saxicola torquata
- Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata
- Variable Wheatear Oenanthe picata
- Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti
- Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina
- Brown Rock-chat Cercomela fusca
- Brahminy Starling Sturnus pagodarum
- Rosy Starling Sturnus roseus
- Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris
- Asian Pied Starling Sturnus contra
- Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
- Bank Myna Acridotheres ginginianus
- Plain Martin Riparia paludicola
- Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
- Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii
- Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica
- Streak-throated Swallow Hirundo fluvicola
- Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer
- Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis
- Graceful Prinia Prinia gracilis
- Ashy Prinia Prinia socialis
- Plain Prinia Prinia inornata
- Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus
- Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia
- Moustached Warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon
- Paddyfield Warbler Acrocephalus agricola
- Blyth's Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum
- Clamorous Reed Warbler Acrocephalus stentoreus
- Booted Warbler Hippolais caligata
- Sykes's Warbler Hippolais rama
- Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius
- Siberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita tristis
- Tickell's Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus affinis
- Sulphur-bellied Warbler Phylloscopus griseolus
- Brooks's Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus subviridis
- Hume's Warbler Phylloscopus humei
- Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides
- Western Crowned Warbler Phylloscopus occipitalis
- Whistler's Warbler Seicercus whistleri
- Bristled Grassbird Chaetornis striatus
- Yellow-eyed Babbler Chrysomma sinense
- Common Babbler Turdoides caudatus
- Large Grey Babbler Turdoides malcolmi
- Jungle Babbler Turdoides striatus
- Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca blythi
- Orphean Warbler Sylvia crassirostris
- Indian Bushlark Mirafra erythroptera
- Bengal Bushlark Mirafra assamica
- Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark Eremopterix grisea
- Bimaculated Lark Melanocorypha bimaculata
- Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla
- Crested Lark Galerida cristata
- Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula
- Purple Sunbird Nectarinia asiatica
- House Sparrow Passer domesticus
- Sind Sparrow Passer pyrrhonotus
- Chestnut-shouldered Petronia Petronia xanthocollis
- White Wagtail Motacilla alba
- White-browed Wagtail Motacilla maderaspatensis
- Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola
- Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava
- Paddyfield Pipit Anthus rufulus
- Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris
- Long-billed Pipit Anthus similis
- Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis
- Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni
- Rosy Pipit Anthus roseatus
- Streaked Weaver Ploceus manyar
- Black-breasted Weaver Ploceus benghalensis
- Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinus
- Red Avadavat Amandava amandava
- Indian Silverbill Lonchura malabarica
- Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata
- Black-headed Munia Lonchura malacca
- Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus
- White-capped Bunting Emberiza stewarti
- Red-headed Bunting Emberiza bruniceps