Kunthakulam Bird Sanctuary

If you are a bird lover, if those beautiful feathered creatures fascinate you to no end, then you surely cannot afford to miss a tour to the Kunthakulam Bird Sanctuary. At a distance of about 33 km from Tirunelveli, an important railway junction in the Southern railways lies this bird reserve. Kunthakulam is a small hamlet in the Nanguneri Taluk of Tamil Nadu. It’s a picturesque place abounding in forests and ponds.

Nature has generously bestowed her with a lot of beauty and it therefore comes as less of a surprise that a large number of birds make it their temporary home for a part of the year. They cover miles flying from as far flung areas as USA, Australia to seek shelter in the Kunthakulam Bird Sanctuary. Birds from our neighboring countries like Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar also flock in to this southern part of India during the winters and reside for several months.

It is indeed an ornithologist’s paradise. One can spot a diverse variety of birds out here. It is believed that as many as 10,000 birds migrate to the Kunthakulam Bird Sanctuary and dwell here in the months between January and April. Some of the birds that can be seen here include Painted Storks, Pelicans, Cormorants, Spot-bill Ducks, White Ibis, Egrets, Herons, Minivets, Flycatchers, Kingfishers, Partridges, Quails, Spotted and Brown Doves, Babblers. If you are lucky enough, you can also get to see Chipmunks and Pheasant-tailed Jacanas.

It is indeed a pleasure and a delight to be seeing so many kinds of birds at the same place. Apart from admiring the beauty of these winged creatures, it is also an enthralling experience to be listening to their twittering sounds. And as reaching Kunthakulam Bird Sanctuary is also no problem at all, it definitely deserves to be a part of your tour itinerary of Tamil Nadu. Take a train to Thirunelvelli well linked by rail and from thereon take a bus to the Kunthakulam Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. View an amazing variety of birds and listen to their sweet chirping in beautiful natural surroundings.