Bird Sanctuaries of Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu's bird sanctuaries anchor two recurring question types: India's oldest bird sanctuary, and the overlap with Ramsar wetlands.

Syllabus: GS Unit II (Geography: wildlife and wetlands)
Bird SanctuaryDistrictKnown for
VedanthangalChengalpattuRegarded as India's oldest bird sanctuary; painted storks, herons
KarikiliChengalpattuCompanion wetland to Vedanthangal
Pulicat LakeTiruvallurIndia's second-largest brackish lagoon; flamingos
VettangudiSivagangaWinter migratory waterbirds
KoonthankulamTirunelveliCommunity-protected; bar-headed geese, painted storks
ChitrangudiRamanathapuramRamsar-listed wetland
KanjirankulamRamanathapuramRamsar-listed breeding site
UdayamarthandapuramTiruvarurRamsar-listed tank wetland
Melaselvanur-KilaselvanurRamanathapuramTwin-tank bird habitat
VaduvurTiruvarurLarge tank wetland; Ramsar-listed

District clusters speed up revision: Chengalpattu holds the Vedanthangal-Karikili pair, Ramanathapuram has Chitrangudi, Kanjirankulam and Melaselvanur-Kilaselvanur, and several sites on this list double as Ramsar wetlands.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the oldest bird sanctuary in India?
Vedanthangal in Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu, with protection traditions going back centuries and formal status in the 1930s-1960s era.
Which bird habitat is India's second-largest brackish lagoon?
Pulicat Lake in Tiruvallur district, known for its flamingos, is India's second-largest brackish-water lagoon.

Related lists

Compiled from official Tamil Nadu government sources and standard references. Time-sensitive counts carry an as-of note on the page. Sources: TNPSC official notifications. Figures are indicative and may change with each official notification. Data last reviewed: July 2026.

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