Sultanpur National Park is located
in Gurgaon district of Haryana is famous for bird sanctuary, about 50 km from Delhi and 15 km from
Gurgaon on the Gurgaon -
Farukh
Nagar Road, Sultanpur National Park and Bird Sanctuary is famous for
migratory. This park is best visited in winters when a large number of
migratory birds come here. In the old map and district gazetteer of
Gurgaon district, this area is shown as marshy land having a 'salt pan'
where water accumulates during rains and dries out during summer.
A
number of organisms like crustaceans, fish and insects thrive during
floods which attract a number of birds to this area. It's sanctuary
potential was first identified by an enthusiastic bird watcher, Mr.
Peter Jackson. He convinced Mrs Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister
of India, of the need for giving protection to this area (Read this in
Peter Jackson's own words). Keeping in view it's importance and
potential, the area covering 359 acres was declared a Bird Sanctuary in
1971 and was upgraded to the status of National Park in 1991 by Haryana
Government.
- Flora
The vegetation of this park is tropical and dry
deciduous and the flora include grasses, dhok, khair, tendu, ber,
jamun, acacia, and banyan tree.
- Fauna
The Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary is home to a large
range of birds, both resident and migratory. Migratory geese and
Siberian cranes spend the winter in Sultanpur and there are also the
demoiselle cranes, ruddy shelducks, pelicans, flamingoes, bar-
headed geese, grey lags, gadwalls, mallards, pochards, shovellers
and teals. Local species include plovers, red-wattled lapwings,
herons, cormorants, white ibises, spoonbills and painted storks.
Other wildlife in the park include blackbuck, nilgai, hog deer,
sambar, wild dog or dhole, caracal, wild cat, hedgehog, mongoose,
striped hyena, Indian porcupine, rattle/honey badger, leopard, wild
pig, and four horned antelope.
Sultanpur Lake is the point around which the Sultanpur Bird
Sanctuary has been developed. The lake is a picnic spot for the
residents of Delhi and boating facilities are also available here. The
lake has a good number of reptiles and it attracts a lot of migratory
birds during winters.
