With Kazhuveli being a major stopover site for migratory birds on the Central Asian Flyway, the department has painted one of the sidewalls of as many as 45 government schools across the district, showcasing the avifauna visiting Kazhuveli.
| Photo Credit: KUMAR SS
The Villupuram Forest Division is working on a proposal for the establishment of a state-of-the-art international bird centre in Agaram Reserve Forest near Kazhuveli bird sanctuary, falling under the Tindivanam Forest range.
Official sources said a Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared by a consultant had been submitted to the Tamil Nadu government for approval and that the official announcement was awaited.
“The proposed international bird centre will include an awareness and interpretation centre, and research-cum-educational facilities with amenities for tourists. The Forest Department has planned watchtowers for bird watching, a canopy walkway, and facilities for students. The DPR is under discussion,” District Forest Officer K. Karthikeyani told The Hindu.
The department has planned to transport tourists in vehicles from the proposed centre to Kazhuveli for field exposure.
Exhibits of various kinds, including photographs and life-size concrete ones that replicate the characteristics of Kazhuveli, have been planned.
After Kazhuveli was notified as a bird sanctuary, various awareness activities had been conducted in the sanctuary.
“The department has purchased rescue equipment for birds, including cages, and readied facilities such as post-mortem sheds and treatment facilities for injured and sick birds. The Management Plan for Kazhuveli bird sanctuary has also been prepared and is under implementation,” Ms. Karthikeyani said.
With Kazhuveli being a major stopover site for migratory birds on the Central Asian Flyway, the department has painted one of the sidewalls of as many as 45 government schools across the district, showcasing the avifauna visiting the area. This new concept has been introduced as a permanent awareness asset for students under Tamil Nadu Innovation Initiatives, the DFO added.
Major wetland
Located close to Marakkanam on East Coast Road, the Kazhuveli lake — spanning sq.km of catchment area — is one of the major wetlands on the Coromandel Coast.
The lake is connected to the Bay of Bengal by the Uppukalli Creek and the Yedayanthittu estuary, and is visited for nesting by migratory birds on the Central Asian Flyway. The lake is the second largest brackish water wetland in Tamil Nadu.
Listed as one of Tamil Nadu’s 141 prioritised wetlands, Kazhuveli is also a wetland of international significance and a potential Ramsar site, according to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s ‘Wetlands of India’ portal.
It is home to over 200 species of birds and is recognised as an important stopover and breeding ground for about 40,000 migratory birds. The lake has a feeding ground for long-distance migrants from the cold subarctic regions of Central Asia and Siberia, including Black-tailed Godwits, Eurasian Curlew, White Stork, Ruff and Dunlin.
‘Vulnerable’ birds
The birds found in the sanctuary include spot-billed pelicans, darters, cormorants, herons, egrets, black ibis, spoonbills, flamingos, common pochard, sandpipers, coots, shanks, and terns. Many of them have been categorised as ‘vulnerable’ or ‘near threatened’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
According to a 2016 report, ‘Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas in India-Tamil Nadu’, by the Bombay Natural History Society and Indian Bird Conservation Network, the area regularly hosts more than 30,000 ducks in winter, 20,000-40,000 shorebirds, and 20,000-50,000 terns during the migration period. As the lake fills up with freshwater in November, numerous aquatic plants germinate, it says.
Published – April 11, 2025 10:21 pm IST
