Birding in Chennai

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Garganeys are from Europe. They migrate to India during the winter season. It is such an enchanting sight to view hundreds of Garganeys together.



You don't need to travel to North America to watch the rare and beautiful Great blue heron. If you have sharp eyes and patience, you could easily find those birds here.



The once-endangered Egrets are found in large numbers. They are beauties of Almighty's creations.



Black Drango - I am running short of words to describe this incredibly attractive creature.



It is said that the Barn Swallows are the most widespread swallows on the globe. Perhaps to prove that, they are abundant in this locality.



I always wonder which is more beautiful - King Fisher or Blue Tailed Bee Eater. Even after watching them together for hours on the same site, I could not determine.



Many more migratory birds and even the common birds are found here. If you wonder, which place I have been talking about....you may not believe it. I am talking about the highly polluted Perumbakkam area in Chennai. This is one of the best birding spots in the city. One needs to explore it properly by moving into the interior lanes.



It is the home for about 130 species of birds. On average 40,000 birds flock to this site every month during the season.

If you feel happy about this, hold on! It is not even 10 percent of birds that used to visit this place till a few decades ago. 

Perumbakkam Wetland, which is often referred to as Sholinganallur Wetland, is originally part of Pallikkaranai Marshland. The urbanization, poor town planning, and the greed of real estate sharks have separated both these wetlands miles apart now.

What we see today is not a wetland; it is just a remnant of the lost glory. Thousands of houses, one famous hospital, a college, a girls hostel, few hotels, and a lot of IT companies have made this site as their own long back. 

Today, we have more IT companies and houses than birds. If you read this article five years down the line, you may not find even a single bird.

Happy travelling.




Location: Perumbakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600126, India

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