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After Manchanabele dam we went to Ramanagaram and then continued our journey on Mysore road to reach Kokkare Bellur. From Ramanagram the route of Kokkare Bellur is:

Ramanagaram -31 km-> Maddur -13 km-> Kokkare Bellur

If you are coming from Bangalore then the route would be:

Bangalore —30 km—> Bidadi -20 km->Ramanagaram -31 km-> Maddur -13 km-> Kokkare Bellur

Just near Maddur you will find a board to take left turn for Kokkare Bellur. After taking the left turn, you need to go 13 km further to reach Kokkare Bellur. Kokkare Bellur is a small village located west of Shimsa River. It is named after the bird Painted Stork. Kokkare meaning “stork” and ‘Bellur’ meaning” village of jaggery in Kannada. We found a very strange thing in this village. In the middle of the village there are huge tamarind trees in which there are hundreds of Painted Stork nesting. That’s quite a peculiar thing as I never saw migratory birds nesting in the middle of the village. Generally, they pick nesting spots in lakes and all as there is plenty of fish available. There are many water bodies nearby the village but it is quite amazing that the birds prefer to live in the middle of the village and because of this, an ordinary Indian village looks extraordinary. After having a chat with the villagers we found that, the people of Kokkare Bellur consider the birds bring good luck to the village. They also said that whenever the birds are not coming in a year, they think that something bad is going to happen. The coexistence of birds and villagers is really a treat to watch. They also get phosphorus and potassium rich manure obtained from the bird droppings called guano. Karnataka Forest Department also pays for every tree, wherever the birds are nesting, as the birds consume tamarind during their stay. It was April so we saw the birds nesting around in the village. Generally, the birds come in late September and lay eggs in October to November, then they go back and return in March when the eggs hatch. Then again in May, they go back. The two most common birds found here are Painted Stork (Ibis leucocephalus) and Spot-billed Pelican or Grey Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis)

Videos depicting the coexistence of birds in the village:

Painted Stork (Ibis leucocephalus):

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