Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary

Protected area in Tamil Nadu, India

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Designations
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary
Designated	8 November 2021
Reference no.	2479

Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary or Kunthankulam is a 1.2933 km (0.4993 sq mi) protected area declared as a sanctuary in 1994. It adjoins the tiny village of Koonthankulam in Nanguneri Taluk of Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, India. It is just 38 km away from Tirunelveli (a bustling town on the banks of the Thamirabarani River). 8°34′52″N 77°45′40″E / 8.58102°N 77.76123°E / 8.58102; 77.76123 It is composed of Koonthankulam and Kadankulam irrigation tanks, conveniently linked by tar road. This is the largest reserve for breeding water birds in South India. It is an Important Bird Area, code: IN269, criteria: A1, A4i, and has been designated as a protected Ramsar site since 2021.

Community involvement

This sanctuary is actively protected and managed by the Koonthankulam village community. The local people take a keen interest in protecting this sanctuary.

Birds coming to villagers' backyards are protected vehemently and regarded as harbingers of luck. The guano and silt from the tanks is collected by villagers in summer and applied as fertilizer to their fields. All villagers protect the birds, their nests and fledgelings. Fallen chicks are taken care of in the rescue centre till they are able to fly on their own. The Indian festival Diwali is not celebrated here because the sound of crackers would drive away the winged visitors.

An interpretation centre, watch tower, children's park and dormitory are open for public use throughout the year.

Fauna

More than 43 species of resident and migratory water birds visit here every year. More than 100,000 migratory birds start coming by December and fly away to their northern homes by June or July after they lay and hatch eggs and the young ones mature enough to fly with the older ones.

The following migratory birds visit this area from other countries.

Bar-headed goose, Siberia
Common sandpiper, Siberia
Common teal, Siberia
Coot, central Siberia
Green sandpiper, Siberia
Greater flamingo, northern India
Northern pintail, Siberia
White stork, central Asia

Notes

^ "Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
BirdLife International Kunthangulam Bird Sanctuary
Tamil Nadu Forest Dept.Koothankulam Bird Sanctuary

External links

v t e Bird sanctuaries
Attiveri Bird Sanctuary Bankapura Peacock Sanctuary Bonal Bird Sanctuary Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary Mayani Bird Sanctuary Mousehole Wild Bird Hospital and Sanctuary Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary Porbandar Bird Sanctuary Raiganj Wildlife Sanctuary/ Kulik Bird Sanctuary Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary Tamil Nadu Bird Sanctuaries (13) Thattekad Bird Sanctuary Wing Haven Gardens and Bird Sanctuary

Bird sanctuaries

v t e Protected areas of Tamil Nadu
Biosphere reserves	Agasthyamalai Gulf of Mannar Nilgiris
National parks	Anamalai Grass Hills Guindy Gulf of Mannar Karian Shola Mudumalai Mukurthi
Wildlife sanctuaries	Anamalai Cauvery North Cauvery South Gangaikondan Grizzled Squirrel Kadavur Kalakkad Kanyakumari Megamalai Mudumalai Kodaikanal Mundanthurai Point Calimere Sathyamangalam Periyar Nellai Vallanadu
Bird sanctuaries	Chitrangudi Kallaperambur Kanjirankulam Karaivetti Karikili Kazhuveli Koothankulam Melaselvanur-Kilaselvanur Nanjarayan Point Calimere Pulicat Lake Suchindram Theroor Udayamarthandapuram Vaduvoor Vedanthangal Vellode Vettangudi Viralimalai
Tiger reserves	Anamalai Kalakkad Mundanthurai Mudumalai Sathyamangalam Megamalai
Elephant reserves	Agasthyamalai Anamalai Coimbatore Mudumalai Srivilliputhur
Conservation reserves	Tiruvidaimarudur
Protected areas of India

v t e Ramsar sites in India
Andhra Pradesh	Kolleru Lake
Assam	Deepor Beel
Bihar	Kanwar Lake
Goa	Nanda Lake
Gujarat	Khijadiya Nalsarovar Thol Lake Wadhvana Wetland
Haryana	Sultanpur National Park Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary
Himachal Pradesh	Chandra Taal Pong Dam Lake Renuka Lake
Jammu and Kashmir	Hokera Wetland Hygam Wetland Shallbugh Wetland Surinsar-Mansar Lakes Wular Lake
Karnataka	Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary
Kerala	Ashtamudi Wetland Sasthamkotta Lake Vembanad-Kol Wetland
Ladakh	Tsomoriri Tso Kar
Madhya Pradesh	Bhoj Wetland Sakhya Sagar Sirpur Lake Yashwant Sagar
Maharashtra	Nandur Madhameshwar Lonar Lake Thane Creek
Manipur	Loktak Lake
Mizoram	Pala Wetland
Odisha	Anshupa Lake Bhitarkanika Mangroves Chilika Lake Hirakud Reservoir Satkosia Gorge Tampara Lake
Punjab	Beas Conservation Reserve Harike Wetland Kanjli Wetland Keshopur-Miani Community Reserve Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary Ropar Wetland
Rajasthan	Keoladeo National Park Sambhar Lake
Tamil Nadu	Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary Karikili Bird Sanctuary Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest Pichavaram Mangrove Suchindram Theroor Wetland Complex Udayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary Vaduvur Bird Sanctuary Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary Vellode Bird Sanctuary Vembannur Wetland Complex
Tripura	Rudrasagar Lake
Uttar Pradesh	Bakhira Sanctuary Haiderpur Wetland Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary Saman Bird Sanctuary Samaspur Bird Sanctuary Sandi Bird Sanctuary Sarsai Nawar Jheel Sur Sarovar Upper Ganga River
Uttarakhand	Asan Barrage
West Bengal	East Kolkata Wetlands Sundarban Wetland

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