Mangalajodi.....a paradise for bird lovers

I heard the name of Manglajodi some years back.This little tribal village on the northern banks of Chilka in Orissa came into limelight for its spectacular variety of birds.both migratory and resident.In the last week of January,2012,we set out for this place from Kolkata.We booked a cottage of Manglajodi Eco Tourism Trust(the only accommodation at Manglajodi)and Trust also arranged a pick up from Balugaon Rly.station very early in the morning.After having break-fast,we started towards the jetty with our guide Sukanta by an Auto.The jetty is 2KM away from the cottage and in the morning we are supposed to have a boat safari for three hours in the marsh of Manglajodi.As soon as our Auto started ,we realised that we are now in the Bird's own land where we are the intruders.Even before reaching the Jetty,we sighted many Bronze-winged Jacanas,Purple Moorhen,Open-bill Stork,Kingfishers etc.We became so excited that we forced the driver to stop the auto to see the birds well and take their photographs.Sukanata,the guide,assured us that it is just the beginning and it would be better to start for the Safari early without wasting time on the way.So,we reached the Jetty and embarked for the Safari.The boat was not spacious but in our excitement we ignored the inconvenience.We were greeted by a flock of Black-tailed Godwits....hundreds of them.They have arrived here from Siberia.Wherever,we were looking....there were birds,only birds of different species.Our guide was helping us with identification.It was really an unbelievable sight.....
We sighted Ruddy Shelduck,Northern Pintail,Black Ibis,Black headed Ibis,Jacanas,Purple Heron,Open bill Stork,Citrine Wagtail,Painted Snipe,Egrets,Pied Kingfisher,Black winged Stilt,Swamp hens,Yellow and Cinnamon Bitterns,Ruddy breasted Crake,Stint,Sandpipers,Red wattled Lapwing,Grey Lapwing,Northern shoveller,Spotted Bill duck,Whiskered tern,River tern,Gulls and flocks of swallows... Before reaching to the Jetty,we saw Bluethroat,bushlark,Pipits,Str eked Baya Weavers, Golden oriole,Brahminy Starling etc......On the next morning we repeated the safari with the same experience.
We have never seen such variety of birds in a single place.This is an unforgettable experience.Next evening we returned for Kolkata boarding train from Khurda Jn.....

Contact person of Manglajodi Eco Trust:Laksmi..Tel No_09583803927
Cottage charge:Rs.750/- per day for two persons
Boating Charge(including guide):Rs.600/- for three hours.
There are only two cottages and they are very basic.Food at the Cottage costs Rs.250/-per person per day


Some photos taken at Manlajodi

Good thread and pics, Maumi.

Those cottages look very quaint. I already had a sneak peak at your lovely bird photos link on the WBIT thread.

Thank you snonumous.....I should also mention that the nearest Railway head,Balugaon is 30 KM from Manglajodi...also please ignore the anniversary tag in the first Ruddy Shelduck photo.That was originally sent to one of my friends as a greetings to their marriage anniversary...mistakenly,that was not erased ...

Maumi - this is a great report and you've got some wonderful captures.

I visited Manglajodi this december and blogged about it here: http://stalenews.blogspot.com.

I think the nearest railhead is Mukteshwarpuri though (if you use a passenger train to come from Bhubaneswar).

- Vaibhav

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I .. l i k e .. t h o s e .. s h i n y .. b r o n z e .. w i n g s. ..
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (bronzees)
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Thanks vaibhab and RWe...I already read your nice trip report of Manglajodi and benefited from it and yes,Mukteswarpuri for local passengers,but express trains do not stop here...@RWe..The Bronzees are looking much better now,thanks...

,Amazing variety and Lovely pics, Maumi.

Thanks for writing about this. I have the name tucked away in my memory for whenever my Orissa trip happens.

The birds are beautiful. Please post some more photos along with the IDs. Great thread.

I just came back from Mangalajodi, and it was an awesome experience. I have never seen hundreds of birds together, nor so many different types of birds.
Here is a tiny bit from my collection of photos.

Lovely photos funny_in.

@funny_in...Nice pictures.May you please share your experience of the trip?...I think,the Orissa Tourism Dept should give some serious thought regarding promoting this place.The local villagers are using the approach road to the jetty as their open toilet.Authority should look into the matter and may prepare a scheme of community latrine for the poor tribal villagers.So far I know there is enough Central Govt.fund for such schemes for the Tribals.I am posting some more pictures.....

Maumi, I love the cormorant with fish, very cute!

@ sagarneel -- thank you for liking the pics

@ maumi -- your pics are even better than mine! you are giving nice samples..why not share the full album!

Yes, Mangalajodi was an awesome experience. But there are two sides of making the place popular. Too many tourists can hamper the environment for the birds. The boat trip was done in a country boat pushed by a bamboo pole, slowly gliding in the wetlands. There was total silence all around, and we could observe the birds freely. I guess if there are crowds of tourists, with accompanying noise, the birds may never come back.

We took a car from Barkul(40kms) at Rs 1200 for the return trip. Each boat can take 4 people, and they charge Rs 600 per boat, including a guide with a binocular. I must say the hospitality of the people in the Eco-Tourism was very good. They took very good care of us, and even the food served was fantastic! We paid Rs 100 per person for veg-lunch, and they kept on insisting for more helpings. I am definitely going back again!

Nice trip report. But a report on Manglajodi is incomplete without mention of the fact that the guides who show us around are all ex-poachers. They used to kill the birds here and sell them in the local market. Grey lag geese used to go for Rs 600, purple swamphens used to fetch Rs 30 etc. A man named NK Bhujbal persuaded these people over the years to convert them into protectors of the birds. Bhujbal, an ordinary person who lives in the nearby town of Tangi, is the man who created Manglajodi into what it is today. His contribution has not gone unnoticed. He has got innumerable conservation awards, not to speak of global media attention.