Tamil Nadu Bird Sanctuaries

In this area we are in some ways in a similar position to many of the below Bird Sanctuaries in that during the monsoon season many reservoirs and catchment areas at Tiruvannamalai get filled with water. Unfortunately as Tiruvannamalai is not a rural village anymore, the water in the reservoir areas gets pumped into the town for commercial and residential use.

 In the last ten years I can only remember one time (about three years ago) when the rains were so bountiful and the ground water table so sufficient, that major reservoir areas like the Samduram Erie did not need to be drained. In that year even in 100 degrees farenheit, the reservoirs remained full throughout the hot Summer.

Samudram Eri after a very good Monsoon

Much of the water running into the catchment areas is alive with the possibility of life and even without the necessity of artifically stocking the reservoir areas, within a couple of months, the lakes and tanks are full of freshwater shrimp, prawns and fish indigenous to Tamil Nadu. One year I even discovered a very large and very beautiful green turtle at the Samudram Erie.

About eight years ago local fishermen received permission from the Municipality to artifically stock the lake with young fish (fish fry), and harvest the fish at the end of the season. There has never been such a year at the Samudram Eri (southwest of the town of Tiruvannamalai) in the variety and number of visting and nesting migratory birds who had come to stay and partake of the fish in the reservoir lake.

I am currently searching for around 5 acres of land at the back of the Samudram Eri in order to create a Bird Haven for both indigenous and migratory birds. Once the land is located, purchased and developed into a beautiful habitat specifically tailored in providing food and a secure nesting environment to visiting birds, I am very excited by the possibility of working harmoniously with local Government to hopefully decide to request that the Samudram Eri be declared a protected bird sanctuary.

This posting is to list current Bird Sanctuaries in Tamil Nadu and to specific the variety and types of birds that visit specific Sanctuaries.

Bird Sanctuaries in Tamil Nadu 

Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary 

This Bird Sanctuary was declared in 1989, with an estimated area of 47.63 hectares. The sanctuary area is within the community tank embankments and its immediate water holding channel, measuring approximately 15 meters from the bottom of the embankment. Most notable feature of the sanctuary is the prominent growth of Babul (Acacia nilotica) trees. It is adjacent to the Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary. 

The Kanjirankulam and Chitrangudi birds sanctuary are the natural habitat of winter migratory birds and provide safe place for roosting, breeding and feeding for birds with considerable diversity in nesting and feeding behavior. 

Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary 

This Sanctuary was declared in the year 1989, with an estimated area of 66.66 hectares in Keela Kanjirankulam and 37.55 hectares in Mela Kanjirankulam. 

Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary 

Spread over 454 hectares the Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary is located in Perambalur district of Tamil Nadu. This Sanctuary is now home for more than 180 species of birds which includes 100 species of land birds. During peak season more than 25,000 birds have been recorded. 

In previous season over 250 nests were counted in what is a breeding ground for Grey Pelican, Spoonbill, Ibis, Openbill stork and the Cormorant. Important land bird species include the Rosy Pastor, Peregrine Falcon, Osprey, Marsh Harrier and the Tawny Eage. 

Karikili Bird Sanctuary 

Located about 86 kilometres from Chennai in Madurantakam Taluk of Chengai Anna District, this is one of the most tranquil and beautiful places near Chennai. Spread over 61.21 hectares, it is comprised of two rain fed irrigation tanks. The water enriched by bird droppings results in increased yield. Beginning with Open Billed Storks, other birds start arriving in September-October. Karikkili is a haven for Ducks and Waders. Pintailed Ducks, Garganey teals, Common Teals, Shovellor, Little Grebe or Dab Chick, Herons and Egrets are amongst other avian visitors. 

Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary 

Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary is a unique sanctuary actively protected and managed by the Koonthakulam village community. The largest breeding water bird reserve in south India attracts more than 100,000 birds annually. It is located 35 kilometers from Tirunelveli. It is comprised of Koonthankulam and Kadankulam tanks which cover an area of 130 hectares. It was declared a Sanctuary in 1994. 

Melselvanur-Keelselvanur Bird Sanctuary 

Mela-Keela Selvanoor Bird Sanctuary was declared in 1998 and is located near Sayalkudi in Ramanathapuram district. This is the biggest Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. The total area of the Sanctuary is 593.08 hectares. 

Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary 

Point Calimere Wildlife covers an area of 6.66 square miles. This Animal Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary is at Point Calimere, Thanjavur District. It consists of tidal swamps, dry evergreen forests and mangroves. The Sanctuary is famous for its Flamingos. A large variety of water birds including Teals, Gulls, Terns, Plovers and Stilts can be seen during winter months. Mammals include Chital and the Wild Boar. As well as water birds Dolphins and Olive Ridley Turtle come close to the shore. 

Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary has recorded the second largest congregation of migratory water birds in India, with a peak population in excess of 100,000, representing 103 species. 

In October water birds arrive from Rann of Kutch, Eastern Siberia, Northern Russia, Central Asia and parts of Europe for their feeding season and start returning to those breeding places in January. Water birds include the Spot-billed Pelican, Spotted Greenshank, Spoonbill Sandpiper, the Black-necked Stork, White Ibis, Asian Dowitcher, Lesser Flamingo, Spoonbill, Darter and Painted Stork. 

Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary 

This Sancutary has an area of 481 sq kms and it is the second largest brackish water lagoon in India.It straddles the border of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu states on the Coromandal Coast in South India. 

The lake encompasses the Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary. Every year approximately 15,000 Greater Flamingos are reported to visit the lake along with Pelicans, Kingfishers, Herons, Egrets Painted Storks, Spoonbills and Ducks, Little Grebe, Indian Cormorant, Little Cormorant, Asian Openbill Stork, Black-headed Ibis, Eurasian Spoonbill, Lesser Whistling Teal, Spot bill Duck, Great Thickknee and Stone Curlew. 

The highest concentrations of Flamingo are found in the periphery of the lagoon where the water level is below 40 centimeters (16 in). The concentrations of flamingos are also associated with high algal, fish and benthic diversity. 

Several species of wintering waterfowl have been noted including Bar-headed Goose, Ruddy Shelduck, Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall, Common Teal, Northern Pintail, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, Brown-headed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Whiskered Tern, Gull-billed Tern and Caspian Tern. Birds of prey which appear in winter are the: White-bellied Sea Eagle, Osprey, Harriers and Peregrine Falcons. 

Udhayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary 

Udhayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary was created in December 1999. The Sanctuary is home to variety of migratory water birds like Coot, Grey Heron, White Ibis, Open bill Storks, Night Heron and Purple Heron. 

Udhayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary is located in Thiruvarur district of Tamil Nadu. The total area of the sanctuary is 45 hectares. 

The Sanctuary is basically an irrigation tank that is fed by water from Mettur dam and by the northeast monsoon from August till December. It remains dry from April till August. 

Vaduvoor Bird Sanctuary 

Created in July 1999, the Sanctuary attracts more than 40 species of water birds like Ibis, Painted stork, Grey pelican, Pintail, Cormorant, Teals and Herons. 

Vaduvoor Bird Sanctuary is a favorite flyaway spot for migratory birds and has recorded congregation up to 20,000 birds in November. The ideal time to visit the sanctuary is November – December when congregation of migratory birds is maximum. One can spot more than 40 species of water birds like Ibis, Painted stork, Grey pelican, Pintail, Cormorant, Teals and Herons. 

Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary 

Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary is one of the smallest and oldest in the country with a unique history. The local people have been protecting the sanctuary for centuries now because they have realized that the bird droppings falling into the tank increases nitrogen content of the water and when used to irrigate crop increases the yield greatly and saves the cost of fertilizers. As far back as 1798, the village folk convinced the authorities to give protection to the birds of the 30 hectare area of the Vedanthangal tank. 

Around 30,000 birds come every season even though the area is just 30 hectares It then attracts multitudes of Herons, Egrets, Storks, Ibises and Spoon Bills. If the monsoon is heavy, these trees can be partially submerged. Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary is one of the oldest water bird sanctuaries in the country. 

Vedanthangal in Tamil language means 'hamlet of the hunter' and this area was once a favorite hunting spot for the local landlords some 300 years ago. The region attracted a variety of birds because it’s dotted with small lakes that acted as feeding grounds for the birds. The sanctuary features thousands of birds coming from various countries, some of which can be easily identified. 

Some easily found bird species include Cormorants, Darter, Grebes, Large Egret, Little Egrets, Moorhen, Night Herons, Paddy Bird, Painted Stork, Pintails, Pond Heron, Sandpiper, Shovellers, Terns, White Ibis and many more. 

The migratory birds include Garganey Teals Canada, Snake Bird Sri Lanka, Grey Pelican Australia, Grey Heron Bangladesh, Open-billed Stork Bangladesh, Glossy Ibis Sri Lanka, Painted Stork Siberia, Spoonbill Burma and Spot Bill Duck Canada. 

Vellode Bird Sanctuary 

Vellode Bird Sanctuary of Erode District of Tamil Nadu, has an area of 77.185 hectares. It is situated in Vadamugam Vellode village. 

Vettangudi Bird Sanctuary 

This sanctuary encompasses Periya Kollukudi Patti, Chinna Kollukudi Patti and Vettangudi Patti tanks extending to a total area of 38.4 hectares. It was declared a Bird Sancutary in 1977. 

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Bird Havens 

As well as the 13 established bird sanctuaries at the southernmost continental range in Tamilandu (listed above) further bird havens below. 

• Kallaperambur lake near Thanjavur has recently been declared as a bird sanctuary by the Forest department. Improvement works remain to be undertaken to the lake. 

 • Suchindram Theroor Bird Sanctuary is a proposed protected area comprising the Suchindram Kulam wetlands and Theroor Kulam both near Suchindram town in Kanyakumari District. Being at the extreme southern tip of India, this area is the southernmost bird sanctuary in the continental range of the Central Asian Flyway. 

Suchindram -Theroor Bird Sanctuary is noted for the wide variety of migratory water birds that winter there, including: Painted Stork, Spot-Billed Pelicans. Also seen here are Cattle Egrets, Great Cormorants, Darters, Purple Swamphen, and Bronze-Winged Jacanas. Resident raptors include pied kingfisher, brahminy kite and marsh harrier. 

Other water birds are Dabchick, grey heron, Garganey, purple heron, Cinnamon Bittern, Open Bill Stork, Cotton Pygmy Goose, Whiskered Tern and Little Tern, Black-Winged Stilt, Greenshank, Little Ringed Plover and the Common Sandpiper. 

• Viralimalai Peacock Sanctuary is in the small town of Viralimalai, situated 30 km from Thiruchirapalli and 40 km from Pudukkottai. It is known for its Murugan temple and the adjacent Peacock Sanctuary. The town is bestowed with a large number of wild peacocks, which roam around the Murugan temple. The town, Temple and Peacock Sanctuary have been declared and funded as a Heritage Place by order of the Governor. 

Indian Robin

The Indian Robin (Tamil = Wannatikuruvi, Washerman bird) is a size of a sparrow. The Male is black with white wing patch and a rusty red under a cocked tail. The hen is ashy brown, with no wing patch. They feed mostly on insects but are known to take frogs and lizards especially when feeding young at the nest. Individuals may forage late in the evening to capture insects attracted to lights.

 

This bird enjoys frequenting arid and stony country, semi-desert with scattered bushes around habitation. Although I may not have noticed it in my own garden, this bird frequents houses around villages, commonly perching on thatched roofs of huts and entering verandahs to pick up insects. This bird is widespread in this area. It is commonly found in open scrub areas and often seen running along the ground or perching on low thorny shrubs. All populations are resident and non-migratory. 

 

 

Male Indian Robin on ground

 

 

I’ve often noticed this Robin in the scrub land of the Samudram Erie, but thus far never noticed one in my own garden, where I often receive visitors from its compatriot, the Oriental Robin Magpie. 

 

 

Male Indian Robin on Perch

 

This bird hops along the ground. The male utters some cheery notes, but has no song as such except in the mating season when the male sings and displays itself by lowering and spreading its tail feathers and strutting around the female, displaying its sides and fluffing its undertail coverts. The songs of males have variants for inviting mates and for deterring other males. Males will drive away other males and patrol their territory by flying with slow wing-beats from perch to perch. They may sometimes peck at their reflections. An aggressive display involves fluffing up the feathers and holding the bill high. 

 

The nesting season for the Indian Robin in the South is from March to June and August to September. Its nest is usually a pad of grass, rootlets and rubbish lined with feathers or hair and sometimes sloughed off snakeskin. 

 

 

Indian Robin Hen

Male Indian Robin on Feeding Duty

This bird has tremendous adaptability and can nest anywhere provided it thinks it is safe. The nest is often placed under stone, in earth holes or tree-stumps or within derelict cans or pots. It usually lays 2-3 creamy white coloured eggs. The female alone incubates with the male sharing other domestic duties. 

Nestlings may feign dead (thanatosis) when handled. Nestlings may be preyed on by the Rufous Treepie. The same nest site may be reused in subsequent years. 

Birds of Tiruvannamalai

The below is a current list of birds found, or have been sighted in the Tiruvannamalai District, particularly in the Arunachala area. If any readers have sighted birds in this area other than those on the list, please get in touch (at the email address at the top left corner of Arunachala Birds) so I can add them onto the list.

B

Babbler, Common

Babber, Large Grey

Babbler, Tawny Bellied

Babbler, Yellow Billed

Babbler, Yellow Eyed

Barbet, Coppersmith

Bee Eater, Blue Tailed

Bee Eater, Chestnut Headed

Bee Eater, Small Green

Bittern, Cinnamon

Bulbul, Red Vented
Bush-Lark, Jerdon

C

Chat, Pied Bush

Coot, Common

Coucal, Creater

Cormorant, Little

Crow, House

Crow, Jungle

Cuckoo, Grey Bellied

Cuckoo, Indian

Cuckoo, Pied Crested

D

Darter

Dove, Laughing (Collared)

Drongo, Ashy

E

Eagle, Black

Eagle, Crested Serpent

Eagle, Short Toed Snake

Eagle, Spotted

Egret, Cattle

Egret, Great

Egret, Little

F

Falcon, Peregrine

Flower-Pecker, Pale Billed

Fly-Catcher, Asian Brown

Fly-catcher, Asian Paradise

Fly-Catcher, Tickell’s Blue

Francolin, Grey

G

Gargeney

H

Harrier, Pied

Heron, Back Crowned Night

Heron, Grey

Heron, Indian Pond

Heron, Purple

Hoopoe, Common

I

Ibis, Black Headed

Ibis, Glossy

K

Kestrel, Common

Kingfisher, Common

Kingfisher, Pied

Kingfisher, White Throated

Kite, Black

Kite, Black Shouldered

Kite, Brahminy

L

Lapwing, Yellow Wattled

Red Wattled, Lapwing

Lark, Rufous Winged Bush

M

Malkoha, Blue Faced

Malkoha, Sirkeer
Minivet, Small

Monarch-Flycatcher, Back-Naped

Moorhen, Common

Munia, Black Headed

Munia, Indian Silver bill

Munia, Scaly Breasted

Munia, White Rumped

Myna, Common

N

Nightjar, Indian

O

Oriole, Eurasian Golden

Owl, Barn

Owl, Eurasian Eagle

Owl, Mottled Wood

Owlet, Spotted

P

Parakeet, Rose Ringed

Peafowl, Indian

Pipit, Paddyfield

Pigeon, Rock

Pintail, Northern

Pitta, Indian

Prinia, Ashy

Prinia, Jungle

Q

Quail, Jungle Bush

R

Roller, Indian

Robin, Indian

Robin, Oriental Magpie

S

Sandpiper, Green

Shag, Indian

Shikra

Shama, White Rumped

Shrike, Bay Backed

Shrike, Black Headed Cuckoo

Shrike, Brown

Shrike, Common Wood

Shrike, Southern Grey

Sparrow, House

Sparrow, Yellow Throated

Spoonbill, Eurasian

Spurfowl, Painted

Starling, Brahminy
Starling, Rosy

Stilt, Black Winged

Stint, Little

Stone Curlew, Eurasian Thick Nee

Stork, Asian Open Bill

Sunbird, Loten’s

Sunbird, Purple

Sunbird, Purple-Rumped

Swallow, Red Rumped

Swamphen, Purple

Swift, Asian Palm

Swift, House

T

Tailor Bird, Common

Thrush, Blue Rock

Thrush, Orange Headed

Treepie, Rufous

W

Wagtail, Forest

Wagtail, White Browed

Warbler, Blyth’s Reed

Water Hen, White Breasted

Weaver, Baya

Woodpecker, Black-Rumped Flameback

Wryneck, Eurasian

Black Kite

Most early mornings this week I have noticed some juvenile Black Kites on the Samudram Eri. Today there were three young ‘uns soaring and gliding in the thermals of the Eri. Below are some photographs from this morning. For more details of the Black Kite, refer to this earlier link. 

Indian Spot-billed Duck

This season a flock of several adults and a number of ducklings of Indian Spot-billed Ducks (Anas Poecilorhyncha) are resident at the Samudram Erie. The Indian Spot-Billed is one of three subspecies of the Spot-billed which is also called Grey Duck.

2 Ducks Wading in the Samudram

Samudram Take-off

The wings of the Spot-billed Duck are whitish with black flight feathers, a white-bordered green speculum and white wing coverts. Juveniles are browner and duller than adults.






The Spot-billed which is the size of a domestic duck, is grey with a paler head and neck and scaly-patterned plummage. Its black bill is tipped bright yellow. The sexes are similar except that the male has a red spot on the base of the bill, which is absent or inconspicuous in the female The birds legs are bright orange.





The drake’s call is a hoarse and wheezy but the duck makes a loud quacking sound.






This bird is found in lakes and marshes in open country. It is a surface feeder getting its food by tipping or up-ending in shallow water.When reaching down for food, the tail end of the bird sticks out above the water surface






The nesting season is generally from July to September, depending upon the rains. And the bird’s nest is a pad of grass and weeds among herbage on marshy margins of tanks.

The Indian Spot-billed Duck lays 6 to 12 grey-buff or greenish-white eggs.





For more photos and videos go to this link here.

Bats in the Belfry!

Commonly found in many of the Temples at Tiruvannamalai are bats. I know lots of people are turned off by bats, but since an experience some years ago when I was able to touch and handle bats, I have become a real bat aficionado. Their coat is like silk and their soft body feels quite wonderful. They are intelligent and endearingly shy. All in all a very beautiful creature.

Recently I've been spending a lot of time in the Arunagirinatha Temple at Arunachala, which has a tidy size bat colony.

Some of whom are resident in the Krishna Shrine which is being currently developed in the Temple Compound.

And below a couple of little friends comfortably stationed between the wooden rafters of the roof of the shrine.

Below are some extracts from an excellent article about bats entitled Bat Tracks.

"Although people squirm at the very mention of the word ‘bat’, bats are rather clean animals, and groom frequently. The myth that all bats carry the rabies virus persists. However, statistics say that only 0.5 per cent of bats contract rabies. And bats, almost as a rule, only bite in self-defence. They pose no threat to people. Worryingly, being one of the slowest reproducing mammals of their size — bats produce one young a year — bats are extremely vulnerable to extinction. That these gentle, beneficial creatures have been widely misunderstood and neglected further adds to the danger.

The Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 consigned bats to schedule V as ‘vermin’. While the more glamorous animals — elephants, rhinos, lions and tigers — have received considerable attention from conservationists in the country, bats have been largely ignored in such discourses.

Bats are the only mammals capable of true flight.

The 950 species of bats found worldwide are said to have originated from one of the oldest surviving species. One of the oldest fossils, Icaronycteris, is from the early Eocene era, dating back at least 50 million years.

Bat species in India are delicately balanced on the survival scale. Attitudes towards bats, myths about them, recklesshunting, disturbance of their natural habitat and lack of legal protection are all prodding bats away from a true chance at survival."

Evening Walk

In the evenings my six doggies and I go on a leisurely walk in nearby open tracts of land. Here is a very nice photograph of Arunachala in the background.

Certainly miss out on a lot while on walkies with my bunch of dogs - but even with them there is still lots of interesting wildlife to view.

In the below photograph an interesting mix of birds. A drongo at the top, an Indian Roller to the right and several Mynah Birds scattered around.

In the next photograph a Rose Ringed Parakeet having a peep inside this tree, which is the cause of many fights between a colony of Parakeets who live in the area.

Below the same Parakeet perched high over his tree and checking out the territory.

And a very nice photograph of an Indian Roller

Hope that in our next home, there will be sufficient space to build my doggies a huge enclosure to play in while I have some 'bird-watching' time concealed in a nice 'hide'.