After an extended cold smog and fog, the sun has returned to the northern plains. The Haiderpur Wetland is set to host a Bird and Nature Festival from January 27 to February 2.
Located at the confluence of the river Ganga and Solani on the Bijnor-Muzaffarnagar border in Uttar Pradesh, locals refer to this area as the Bijnor Ganga barrage. It has gained recognition among bird watchers as the Haiderpur Wetlands, showcasing a significant diversity of migrating winter waterfowl in large numbers.
This year, the stunning Red-crested Pochard are seen in hundreds, along with Tufted ducks, Gadwalls, Eurasian Coots, Eurasian Wigeons, Northern Pintails, Green-winged Teal, Ruddy Shelducks, Ferruginous Ducks, Northern Shovelers, Greylag Goose and Bar-headed Goose amongst others. One also sees the endangered Indian Skimmer here, a species on every birder's wish list.
In December 2021, Haiderpur was designated as India's 47th UNESCO Ramsar site, signifying its international importance as a wetland with a bird list exceeding 300 species. The wetland gained attention in 2014 when Rajesh Panwar, a birdwatcher, recorded the globally endangered Red-breasted Goose.
A local named Ashish Gujjar later discovered a breeding site for the rarely seen Indian Grassbird and documented the Golden-headed Cisticola. Through the efforts of the state forest department and local community involvement, Haiderpur wetland and its surrounding marsh habitat now accommodate more than 15 globally threatened species, including the endangered gharial and hog deer, providing a refuge for the northern subspecies population of the Swamp deer.
Less than a three-hour drive from Delhi-NCR, Haiderpur within the Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary is emerging as a birding hotspot. It is the ideal location to observe the return migration during the ongoing Nature and Bird Festival (Jan 27-Feb 7). The ducks, geese, and similar birds are preparing to fly back to their summer homes in the northern latitudes in the coming weeks. Haiderpur also offers cycling opportunities, with cycle rentals conveniently available next to the entry gate.