Jorbeer Conservation Reserve and Tal Chhapar Sancturay

Jodbeed Gadhwala Conservation Reserve or simply Jorbeer Conservation Reserve is located near Bikaner in the heart of Rajasthan. It was established at a distance from settlements as an official livestock carcass disposal area, primarily for cattle (including cows and bulls), as well as camels, goats, and sheep. The reserve is famous for its vast congregation of raptors and vultures. Jorbeer Conservation Reserve has naturally evolved into a vital conservation area, attracting a wide variety of scavenging birds, including the endangered Egyptian Vulture, Steppe Eagles, and Griffon Vultures. Today, it is one of India’s most important raptor-watching destinations, drawing bird watchers, researchers, photographers, and wildlife enthusiasts from across the globe.

We visited the main carcass dumping site late one afternoon, and early the next morning. The light conditions were not the best for photography. The number of carcasses (dead bodies) and bones, however, was impressive. Vultures and raptors, as well as scavenging feral dogs, feed on the dead animals. I have never seen so many vultures before. The area is also very polluted by plastic waste, as sacred cattle feed on plastic waste and the stomach of one cow can contain up to 20 kg of plastic debris which remains after the flesh and bones are gone. This peculiar and morbid place was well worth a visit, although the stench and sight of the carcasses was a bit unsettling.

The Tal Chhapar Sanctuary is often referred to as a «Raptor paradise». This sanctuary is located near Bikaner in the Churu district of Rajasthan, bordering the Great Indian Desert. It is known for its abundant population of birds of prey such as eagles, falcons, and buzzards. These birds are attracted to the area by the migratory birds that visit in the winter.

The most spectacular migratory raptors seen here are the harriers. Montagu’s and Marsh Harrier are relatively common, while Pallid Harrier is found in smaller numbers. Besides these, the globally threatened Eastern Imperial Eagle and the Short-toed Snake Eagle are quite common. It is recognized as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA).

The Tal Chhapar Sanctuary is also home to a large population of blackbucks, another flagship species for the area, creating a rich and diverse ecosystem. When we arrived there, we spent the first evening looking for the Indian Spotted Creeper, also a flagship species for the sanctuary. To drive inside the sanctuary, we had to rent a local guide and drive with a 4W jeep, meaning I had two guides and a driver with me in the jeep. Due to dense fog, our stay here was partially ruined. Nevertheless, the place was well worth a visit.

Jorbeer Conservation Reserve and Tal Chhapar Sancturay - December 2024
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Jodbeed Gadhwala Conservation Reserve or simply Jorbeer Conservation Reserve is located near Bikaner in the heart of Rajasthan. It was established at a distance from settlements as an official livestock carcass disposal area, primarily for cattle (including cows and bulls), as well as camels, goats, and sheep. The reserve is famous for its vast congregation of raptors and vultures. Jorbeer Conservation Reserve has naturally evolved into a vital conservation area, attracting a wide variety of scavenging birds, including the endangered Egyptian Vulture, Steppe Eagles, and Griffon Vultures. Today, it is one of India’s most important raptor-watching destinations, drawing bird watchers, researchers, photographers, and wildlife enthusiasts from across the globe. We visited the main carcass dumping site late one afternoon, and early the next morning. The light conditions were not the best for photography. The number of carcasses (dead bodies) and bones, however, was impressive. Vultures and raptors, as well as scavenging feral dogs, feed on the dead animals. I have never seen so many vultures before. The area is also very polluted by plastic waste, as sacred cattle feed on plastic waste and the stomach of one cow can contain up to 20 kg of plastic debris which remains after the flesh and bones are gone. This peculiar and morbid place was well worth a visit, although the stench and sight of the carcasses was a bit unsettling. The Tal Chhapar Sanctuary is often referred to as a «Raptor paradise». This sanctuary is located near Bikaner in the Churu district of Rajasthan, bordering the Great Indian Desert. It is known for its abundant population of birds of prey such as eagles, falcons, and buzzards. These birds are attracted to the area by the migratory birds that visit in the winter. The most spectacular migratory raptors seen here are the harriers. Montagu’s and Marsh Harrier are relatively common, while Pallid Harrier is found in smaller numbers. Besides these, the globally threatened Eastern Imperial Eagle and the Short-toed Snake Eagle are quite common. It is recognized as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA). The Tal Chhapar Sanctuary is also home to a large population of blackbucks, another flagship species for the area, creating a rich and diverse ecosystem. When we arrived there, we spent the first evening looking for the Indian Spotted Creeper, also a flagship species for the sanctuary. To drive inside the sanctuary, we had to rent a local guide and drive with a 4W jeep, meaning I had two guides and a driver with me in the jeep. Due to dense fog, our stay here was partially ruined. Nevertheless, the place was well worth a visit.		Blackbuck, one of the character species in Tal Chhapar Sanctuary
Blackbuck male (Antilope cervicapra), Tal Chhapar Sanctuary		Blackbuck female (Antilope cervicapra), Tal Chhapar Sanctuary
Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), three youngsters and one adult to the right. Jorbeer Conservation Reserve		Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), Jorbeer Conservation Reserve
Eurasian Griffon (Gyps fulvus), Jorbeer Conservation Reserve		Eurasian Griffon
Steppe Eagle and Eurasian Griffon, Jorbeer Conservation Reserve		Gang of 11, Eurasian Griffon, Jorbeer Conservation Reserve
Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus), also called Black Vulture, Jorbeer Conservation Reserve		Was told that the feral dogs at Jorbeer Conservation Reserve* could be dangerous*
Jorbeer Conservation Reserve is a morbid place. Here they bring the carcasses of sacred cattles. The stench is quite something!		Big piles of bones at Jorbeer Vulture Conservation Reserve
A unique place, with lot's of stray dogs, vultures, and raptors. And garbage, as the stomach of one cattle carcass can contain up to 20 kg of eaten plastics		Leftover stomach content of sacred cattle at Jorbeer Conservation Reserve (red arrows)
Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis), Tal Chhapar Sanctuary		Two Steppe Eagle (top) and one Eastern Imperial Eagle, Tal Chhapar Sanctuary
Steppe Eagle, Jorbeer Conservation Reserve		Steppe Eagle, Jorbeer Conservation Reserve
Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca), Jorbeer Conservation Reserve		Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca), Tal Chhapar Sanctuary
Eastern Imperial Eagle with Steppe Eagle, Jorbeer Conservation Reserve		Two subspecies of Black Kite, Small Indian Kite (Milvus migrans govinda) to the left, and Black-eared Kite (Milvus migrans lineatus)
Black Kite (Milvus migrans), the most common raptor at Jorbeer Conservation Reserve		Black Kite
Long-legged Buzzard / Ørnvåk (Buteo rufinus), Tal Chhapar Sanctuary		Montagu's Harrier / Enghauk (Circus pygargus), Tal Chhapar Sanctuary
Montagu's Harrier, Tal Chhapar Sanctuary		Montagu's Harrier, Tal Chhapar Sanctuary
Montagu's Harrier, Tal Chhapar Sanctuary		Pallid Harrier / Steppehauk (Circus macrourus), Tal Chhapar Sanctuary
Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus), Tal Chhapar Sanctuary		Pallid Harrier, Tal Chhapar Sanctuary
Pallid Harrier, Tal Chhapar Sanctuary		Flagship species in Tal Chhapar Sanctuary
Western Marsh Harrier / Sivhauk (Circus aeruginosus), Tal Chhapar Sanctuary		Western Marsh Harrier, Tal Chhapar Sanctuary
White-eyed Buzzard (Butastur teesa), Tal Chhapar Sanctuary		White-eyed Buzzard, Tal Chhapar Sanctuary
Short-toed Snake Eagle (Circaetus gallicus), Tal Chhapar Sanctuary		Laggar Falcon (Falco jugger), west of Jorbeer Conservation Reserve
Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus), Tal Chhapar Sanctuary		Black-winged Kite, Tal Chhapar Sanctuary
Common Kestrel / Tårnfalk (Falco tinnunculus), Tal Chhapar Sanctuary		Red-necked Falcon (Falco chicquera), Tal Chhapar Sanctuary
Spotted Owlet (Athene brama), Tal Chhapar Sanctuary		Spotted Owlet, Tal Chhapar Sanctuary
Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) caught in the fence (it was set free unharmed), Tal Chhapar Sanctuary		Tal Chhapar Sanctuary grassland
Eastern Cattle Egret (Bubulcus coromandus), Jorbeer Conservation Reserve		Red-naped Ibis (Pseudibis papillosa), Jorbeer Conservation Reserve
Grey Francolin (Francolinus pondicerianus), Tal Chhapar Sanctuary		Yellow-eyed Pigeon (Columba eversmanni), Jorbeer Conservation Reserve
Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis), Tal Chhapar Sanctuary		Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops), Tal Chhapar Sanctuary
Black-rumped Flameback (Dinopium benghalense), Tal Chhapar Sanctuary		Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor), Tal Chhapar Sanctuary
Indian Spotted Creeper (Salpornis spilonotus), Tal Chhapar Sanctuary		Indian Spotted Creeper, Tal Chhapar Sanctuary
Rosy Starling (Pastor roseus), Jorbeer Conservation Reserve		Indian Pied Myna (Gracupica contra)
Siberian Stonechat (Saxicola maurus), Tal Chhapar Sanctuary		Brooks's Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus subviridis), Tal Chhapar Sanctuary
Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina), Jorbeer Conservation Reserve		Isabelline Wheatear, Tal Chhapar Sanctuary
Long-billed Pipit (Anthus similis), Tal Chhapar Sanctuary		Indian Bushlark (Mirafra erythroptera), Tal Chhapar Sanctuary
Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus), Jorbeer Conservation Reserve		Domestic Camel, Tal Chhapar Sanctuary