Gudavi Bird Sanctuary An obscure village in Sorab taluk of Shimoga district, comes alive in June as the energetic chirping of birds fills the air. The tree-lined banks of the Gudavi Lake become a brilliant mosaic of colours, with branches buried under bright plumage. The grey heron, night heron, little cormorant, jungle fowl, waterfowl, white-headed crane, pond heron, and the black-headed crane - you'll find them all holidaying at Gudavi. Their symphony can be heard miles away.

The sanctuary: Gudavi Bird Sanctuary is a small sanctuary, of 0.74 sq. km in Shimoga district, Karnataka, 55 km from Sirsi. Gudavi is a small seasonal lake, surrounded by degraded moist deciduous forest. The water level was quite low, and the day temperature was quite high (approx. 35 °C).

Central coordinates	75 o 2' East 14 o 27' North
Area	74 ha
Altitude	560m
Criteria	A1, A2, A4i

Gudavi Bird Sanctuary is located in Gudavi of Sorab taluk in Shimoga District .

Spread over 0.70 sq km, the sanctuary comprises a lake, which provide shelter to various species of birds such as gray heron, night heron, little cormorant, jungle fowl, waterfowl, white-headed crane, pond heron and the black-headed crane.

The sanctuary is open to visitors from 06:00 to 18:00 hrs and the best time to visit is between June and November.

Nearest major town is Sirsi . The route is Sirsi-Banavasi-Gudavi and it takes approximately two hours.

Kavla Caves

The Kavla caves are located in the Dandeli sanctuary, 28km from the town of Dandeli. Embedded in the rocks on the ridge overlooking the Kali river valley, these natural caves were created by water seeping through porous rocks over millions of years. There are two ways to approach Kavla caves. Your first option is to ascend a roughly-hewn stairway of 1000 steps after crossing the Kali river stream near the Nagjhari Power Station at Ambikanagar. The other route is through the Dandeli game sanctuary via Panasoli village. The view of the river valley from Kavla caves is breathtaking.

Though the cave is about 15 ft. high, its mouth is only three feet in height. You will need to use a powerful flashlight to explore these caves; they are pitch dark. After crawling on hands and knees for about 30 ft., the roof opens to a height of about 10 ft. A few more steps lead you to a mammoth Shivling-like stalagmite. The area surrounding it has been converted into a sanctum sanctorum and is maintained by a priest who is only present for a brief time each day. During the Maha Shivarathri festival, this cave is electrically lit to play host to a jatra that takes place here. Moving deeper into the cave, you will see some stalactites and a small finger-like stalagmite. The entrance and the exit of these caves is in the form of an inverted "U" with doors at both end

Flora and Fauna:

Surrounded by agricultural fields on the west and north and by moist deciduous forest on the east and south, 191 species of flora and fauna have been identified.

Soraba - 12km
Sagar - 42km
Shimoga - 112km
Bangalore - 377km
Mangalore - 272km

Distance:-	377 km North West of Bangalore .
By Road: -	8 Hours from Bangalore.
Route:-	Nearest major town is Sirsi . The route is Sirsi-Banavasi-Gudavi and it takes approximately two hours.
When to go:-	The sanctuary is open to visitors from 06:00 to 18:00 hrs and the best time to visit is between June and November.
Tourist offices:-	For further information contact: Deputy Conservator of Forests Shimoga Wildlife Division, D C Compound, Shimoga - 577 201 Tel: 08182-222983 , Resi: 274983 For reservations, contact: Range Forest Officer, Wildlife Wing, Kargal, Shimoga - 577 421 Tel: 08182 - 251053 KSTDC (bookings and info) Badami House, NR Square, Bangalore Tel: 080-2275869, Fax: 2352626 Email: kstdc@vsnl.in
Where to stay : -	Assistant Conservator of Forests Range Forest Officer, Wildlife Wing, Kargal, Shimoga - 577 421 Tel: 08186-225657 Forest Department Guest Houses For details, contact: DCF, Shimoga Wildlife Division, D C Compound, Shimoga - 577 201 Tel: 08186-222983