effect on the breeding of land birds. Birds The park's location in the Gangetic Plain makes it an unrivalled breeding site for: herons, storks and cormorants, and an important wintering ground for large numbers of migrant ducks. The most common waterfowl are: gadwall, shoveler, common teal, cotton teal, tufted duck, knob-billed duck, Bar-headed goose, little cormorant, great cormorant, Indian shag, ruff, painted stork, white spoonbill, Asian open-billed stork, oriental ibis, darter, common sandpiper, wood sandpiper, green sandpiper, Spot-billed pelican, Great white pelican, Demoiselle cranes, and The sarus cranes, with its spectacular courtship dance, also lives here. Keoladeo National Park is known as a "bird paradise", since more than 370 bird species have been recorded in the park. Ornithologically, the park assumes significance in two respects: One because of its strategic location as a staging ground for migratory waterfowl arriving in the Indian subcontinent before dispersing to various regions. Further waterfowl converge here before departing to breeding grounds in the western Palearctic region. In addition, the wetland is a wintering area for massive congregations of waterfowl. It is also the only regular wintering area in India for the: Siberian crane. Birds present include: warblers, babblers, bee-eaters, bulbuls, buntings, chats, painted francolins and quails, Indian grey hornbill and Marshall's iora. Raptors include: osprey, peregrine falcon, Pallas' sea eagle, short-toed eagle, tawny eagle, imperial eagle, spotted eagle and crested serpent eagle. The greater spotted eagle has recently been recorded breeding here, a new breeding record for the species in India. Mammals Mammalian fauna of Keoladeo National Park is equally rich with 27 identified species. Primates include: rhesus macaque and Hanuman langur. Nilgai, feral cattle and chital deer are common while sambar are few. Other: ungulates present include: blackbuck, hog deer and nilgai. Wild boar and Indian porcupine are often spotted sneaking out of the park into crop fields. Two: mongoose species, the small Indian mongoose and the common Indian gray mongoose, are occasionally sighted. Cat species present include: jungle cat, leopard cat and fishing cat. The Asian palm civet and the small Indian civet are also present, but rarely sighted. Large predators are absent, but: small carnivores include: Bengal fox, golden jackals and striped hyena. The smooth-coated otter can be seen attacking birds such as: coots. Many species of: rats, mice, gerbils and bats are also found in the park. Other species Fish fauna of the park comprises 43 species, of which 37