About

Kokrebellur Bird Sanctuary is a natural habitat of birds It is situated near Maddur 85 KM from Bangalore and 70 KM from Mysore, and 12 KM from Maddur towards Halagur it's must-visit place for Birds and nature lovers. The village is named after the painted stork (Ibis leucocephalus) called "kokkare" in the Kannada language. The village is famous for its painted storks (Kokkare in Kannada)  Also spot-billed pelicans can be found here, which the villagers have adopted as their heritage and believes that this bird brings them luck and prosperity. Both Painted storks and spot-billed pelicans have been classified as ‘near threatened category by the IUCN.

The village is on the banks of river Shimsha, which flows ahead and meets river Kaveri. Madya district is known for its agricultural fields and sugarcane is a major crop produced here. The birds mainly make nests in ficus and tamarind trees. The birds and villagers have co-existed in total harmony for several decades. The Karnataka forest department compensates the farmers for the crop loss due to the nesting of birds. The other birds found in this region are Little Cormorant, Black Ibis, Grey Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, and Indian Pond Heron, Ring-Necked Parakeets. Kokkrebellur is not a reserved forest sanctuary, The Karnataka Forest Department (KFD), The Department of Minor Irrigation and Department of Fisheries and the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) supports the local level village committee and NGO’s to conserve and develop the facilities for the birds. Another attraction near this area is the Chennakesava Temple complex, which is a tourist spot built according to the Hoysala style of architecture. The Ranganathittu bird sanctuary is also located nearby.

The birds

Kokkare Bellur is a must-visit destination for bird lovers and conservationists because it is heartening to observe the harmonious relationship that the villagers share with the birds. Bird watchers will also take delight in the knowledge that Kokkare Bellur is a retreat for migratory birds. It’s exciting and pleasing to see Painted Storks and Pelicans roam around without restraint in the heart of the rural community. Even more heartening is the way the spot-billed pelicans, which are an endangered species, build their nests in the trees next to the villagers’ homes. The villagers look after the birds, train them and they fly back to their nests.

The spot-billed pelicans are protected by law in India and also in several other countries in Southeast Asia. In Kokkare Bellur, a community-based project has been instituted to carry on the historical links of the pelicans with the villagers. As a result of these initiatives, nesting activity has increased in the past few years. Consequently, efforts to safeguard these birds have been successful and have been praised as a role model to be replicated at other places.

Timings