Bird watching in Pondicherry

Bird watching in Pondicherry sanctuary and lakes will give a different perspective on the wealth of wildlife in Pondicherry. Here is a list of the best places in Pondicherry to go bird-watching.

Ousteri Lake and Bird Sanctuary

Ousteri lake and the bird sanctuary in Pondicherry are considered a wetland of national importance under the National Wetland Conservation Programme of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). It is one of the 93 significant wetlands in Asia, which has recorded over 166 bird species till now. Ousteri Lake is my favourite bird-watching place and is located around 10 km from the White town, Pondicherry. Ousteri Bird Sanctuary spans approximately 800 hectares, with 390 hectares of land in the Pondicherry region and the rest of 410 hectares of land in Tamilnadu. Early morning is the best time for bird watching, and you can do birding using a binocular from the visitors centre at Ousteri Lake. Another option is using the boat ride provided by the tourism department, which is available for tourists who take you inside the lake for an hour. You can witness the birds at very close quarters.

Ousteri lake is home to both resident birds as well as for migratory birds. Ousteri lake hosts migratory birds like Greater flamingo, Pied Avocet, Black Tailed Godwit, Kentish Plovers and common birds like Purple moorhen, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Common coot etc. During the migratory season, predatory birds like the peregrine falcon and marsh harriers may be seen. Spotted owlets are common to see in the trees at the entrance of the ousteri lake. The birds for breeding do still not use Ousteri Bird Sanctuary since it doesn’t have the islands like Vedanthangal or Koonthankulam in Tamilnadu.

My friends and I decided to build islands in ousteri for the safe breeding of migratory birds. We got permission in June 2019 from the forest department and created eight islands in the ousteri lake and plant native trees like Barringtonia. We were very clear that the lakes should not be reachable for the poachers at the same time it should be seen by the tourists. So, we created all eight islands encircling the visitors centre of ousteri lake.

Please note that migratory birds need shallow water to forage food; last few years, ouseri has had good rains that resulted in a reasonable amount of water throughout the year, reducing the number of birds visiting ousteri lake. I hope these islands will help the migratory birds in the coming years. You can check out some news articles on the island’s creation and its impact.

For Bookings of your bird-watching session, Whatsapp: +91- 7604942994

Aaranya Forest and Sanctuary 

Aaranya Forest and Sanctuary are located 10kms from Pondicherry City near poothurai village (East of ouster bird sanctuary). Aaranya Forest is one of the success stories of recovering the TDEF from eventual death. Aaranya Forest and Sanctuary, spread across 100 acres, is an artificial Tropical dry evergreen forest developed by Mr Sarvanan.

Tropical dry evergreen forests (TDEF) are a rapidly shrinking ecosystem that is happening right before our eyes. Tropical dry evergreen forests (TDEF) existed in Tamil Nadu’s eastern coastline and part of Andhra Pradesh’s. Population and urbanisation impact on Tropical dry evergreen forests is on the rise along these coastal lines of Tamilnadu and Andhrapradesh.

Unfortunately, logging, grazing, and other human-caused events have reduced the TDEF to about 5% of what it used to be. TDEF is found only to occur within a 30km range from the east coast sea. No one remembers or recorded TDEF and has minimal papers about the TDEF. Only 1% of TDEF or less is in a protected area, usually as tiny fragments with a sacred grove or temple. People are now aware of the indigenous plants and are actively involved in preserving the TDEF ecosystem.

When he started working on this place, it was just a barren land with red soil with canyons. As far as you can see, only Palm trees were seen where the TDEF forests once thrived. By sheer determination, he converted this barren land into a lush green tropical dry evergreen forest for the past 25 years. He chose rainfed plant species and is climatically adjustable since the monsoon rain happens for just two months. He built reservoirs and checked dams to capture every drop of rainwater.

Mr Saravanan and his family are taking care of this forest. After restoration, this forest now habitat nearly 900 indigenous species of plants, 240 varieties of birds, and 54 species of butterflies, which were not seen here 25 years back. Mammals also consider this as their home, where like of jungle cats, spotter deers, palm civets, Indian crested porcupine, golden jackals, small Indian civet, and monitor lizards. Most of the animals are sighted at night due to the locals’ threat.

I have taken lots of bird photographs from Aranya forest. Some common resident birds like small minivet, white-browed bulbul, and common hawk cuckoo are sighted regularly here. During the migratory season, you can sight birds like Blue throat blue flycatcher, Indian Blue robin, and rare orange-breasted green pigeon in the Aranya Forest. It would be best if you got permission upfront before visiting Aranya forest.

Kaliveli Bird Sanctuary

Kaliveli Bird Sanctuary has been declared a bird sanctuary recently, one of the best places for bird watchers in South India. Kaliveli Lake is one of the biggest lakes in peninsular India. Thousands of Birds visits and breed here every year, and it’s a bird watcher’s paradise. Landscapes of these vast wetlands resemble Masai mara grasslands. It is one of my favourite places for Bird watching; I do travel regularly and witness the thousands of birds throng through the lake.

There are around 226 species of birds have been recorded here. Jackals and spotter deers are doing well in these vast lands. Even though it is Tamilnadu, people who visit Pondicherry should not miss this place. If you are a bird watcher, then this place is heaven. The best time to visit is around January to March.

Other hotspots for Bird watching in Pondicherry:

1	Bahour Lake
2	Pondicherry University
3	Chinna Veerampattinam Beach
4	Kirumambakkam Lake
5	Karayambuthur Lake
6	T.N. Palayam Lake
7	Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research (Restricted Access)
8	Korkadu Lake
9	Kadaperikuppam Lake
10	Sivaranthagam Lake
11	Velrampet Lake
12	Thondamanatham Lake
13	Vadhanur Lake
14	Katterikuppam Lake

For Bookings of your bird-watching session, Whatsapp: +91- 7604942994