The headquarters of the Uttar Dinajpur district, Raiganj is a municipal town since 1951 and one of the major trade centres in North Bengal having National Highway-34 passing through it. Raiganj is 425 km from Kolkata and 181kms from Siliguri. The Kulik Bird Sanctuary is the principal attraction of Raiganj. The vast and beautiful swamp land on the bank of a small river named Kulik provides a home to thousands of migratory birds including Open-Billed Storks, Night Herons, Egrets and Cormorants, and indigenous birds as well. The sanctuary at Kulik draws thousands of tourists every year to Raiganj.
Raiganj Bird Sanctuary is located along the National Highway and lies beside the Kulik River covering an area of 35 acres. It is the second largest bird sanctuary in Asia where migratory birds like open-bill storks, night-herons, cormorants, and egrets coming from South Asian countries and coastal areas hang around. Here you can also find local birds like bulbul, kingfisher, dove, sparrow, woodpeckers, and many other species foraging for food and shelter.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Altitude: 30 meters above sea level.
Temperature (deg C): Summer- Max. 25, Min. 21; Winter- Max. 23, Min. 09.
Rainfall: 155 cms (July to September).
Languages spoken: Bengali, Hindi, English.
Best season: Throughout the year but preferably from October to March.
