Kaggaladu

Kaggaladu is a village in the Sira Taluk of Tumkur district in the south of Karnataka, India. It is located 9 km to the northwest of Sira, a town on the Sira-Changavara Main Road. Since 1999, trees in Kaggaladu have been a breeding ground and haven for painted storks and grey herons. The heronry was first made known to the outside world in 1999 by Wildlife Aware Nature Club, an NGO based in Tumkur.

Heronry
Local residents report that grey herons have been nesting on a single tamarind tree in this area since 1993. The population of these birds increased in 1996 after poachers disturbed a tree in nearby Muddenahalli, resulting in the death of some birds. Villagers are committed to conserving these birds by refraining from harvesting tamarind from both privately owned trees and those belonging to the government. The birds’ aesthetic value motivates some villagers, while others consider them symbols of prosperity, which drives their protection efforts.

Fauna
As the area lies on the plains of the Deccan Plateau, bordering Andhra Pradesh, the wildlife found here is typical of that of dry areas. Several herds of blackbuck roam around Kaggaladu and surrounding villages.

Kaggadalu Bird Sanctuary
Birds usually stay in the Kaggaladu Bird Sanctuary for about six months, arriving in February in groups for the nesting season. By the end of August, the migratory birds depart.

Kaggaladu is said to be the second largest painted stork sanctuary in South India, after the Kokrebellur sanctuary in Mandya district, Karnataka. It has been observed that many birds of foreign origin also migrate to Kaggaladu during the nesting season. The tamarind trees have been maintained for birds' shelter and nesting. The villagers of Kaggaladu are very much attached to these migrating birds.