Bird watching

When birds do sing
Hey ding ding a ding
Sweet lovers love the spring...

One is enamored by the beauty of Gudavi during autumn. The bird sanctuary is filled with the twittering sounds of birds, lit on the branches of trees in a big lake.

The moment one enters the sanctuary, one can only see birds and birds everywhere, fluttering and moving their wings in a gentle dance.

The very atmosphere in Gudavi is invigorating. Visitors moving through lush greenery can hear the clamour of birds. Every tree looks like a cotton plant.

The very sight of these avians, happily chirping away to glory, makes visitors forget the world. A walk in the shade of lush green trees at the entrance leads to a boating facility set up for the benefit of visitors.

Gudavi Bird Sanctuary is 15 km away from the Soraba taluk of Shimoga district and 13 km away from Banavasi of Sirsi taluk in Uttara Kannada district. The sanctuary spreads over 73 hectares of land with residual forest.

Over 25 different varieties of birds visit the sanctuary every year from July to November. They include White Ibis from Siberia, Egrets, Cormorant, Snake Bird, Spoon Bill and Heron. Apart from these, Spot Bill, Cotton Tail, Grey Heron, Paddy Bird, Kingfisher, Coot, Pin Tail, Purple Moorhen and Jacana also visit the sanctuary.

Gudavi is among the top 10 bird sanctuaries of India and the second in Karnataka. This is the right time for tourists to visit the sanctuary as more than 15,000 birds descend on the place.

Though Gudavi, which was recognised as a sanctuary in 2000, is well developed with paved pathways, watch towers, tiled roofs and thatched roofed paragola, not many visitors frequent the place. Lack of publicity seems to be the main culprit.