Salim Ali was a well-known bird lover, ornithologist and naturalist. He was awarded Padma Vibhushan for his ornithology and conducted systematic bird surveys all over India. This attracted the young generation towards birds. His book The Book of Indian Birds gained global fame. A village named Khichan in Phalodi district of Rajasthan in India is a special tourist destination for bird lovers and bird watchers.
These beautiful birds travel a long distance from Mongolia and Northeast China to this region of India and reside in Khichan during winters i.e. from November to March. The residents of Khichan wait for the arrival of these birds and make elaborate arrangements for their food. In the local language they are called Kurjan, but they are Demoiselle cranes.
Due to the service and love of birds by the villagers, today thousands of cranes come to India for breeding. Thousands of tonnes of food are arranged by everyone together. After the publication of Khichan the Demoiselle Crane Village in Birding World magazine of the UK, this village became famous all over the world. I spent about two hours in the month of January amidst these beautiful birds. This experience was thrilling and a beautiful moment.
The villagers and the people living nearby welcome these special guest birds with open hearts. On the initiative of the government, ambulance and hospital facilities are available for them round the clock.