Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary locally known as "Chitrangudi Kanmoli" is a 0.4763 km² (0.183900458137624 sq mi) Protected area

Protected areas of India

As of May 2004, the protected areas of India cover , roughly 4.95% of the total surface area.-Classification:India has the following kinds of protected areas, in the sense of the word designated by IUCN:-National Park:...

 declared in 1989 and a part of Chitrangudi village, Mudukulathur

Mudukulathur

Mudukulathur is a panchayat town in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.A highly under-developed region of the state. Most of the families of this town and villages around are making their living out of farming and farm related activities,unfortunately that mainly depends on...

 Taluk, Ramanathapuram District

Ramanathapuram District

Ramanathapuram District is an administrative district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The city of Ramanathapuram is the district headquarters. Ramanthapuram District has an area of 4123 km²...

, Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...

, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. It is adjacent to Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary

Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary

Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary is a Protected area near Mudukulathur Ramanathapuram District, Tamil Nadu. India, declared in 1989. . It is adjacent to Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary. It is notable as a nesting site for several migratory Heron species that roost in the prominent growth of Babul trees there...

. It is notable as a nesting site for several migratory Heron

Heron

The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....

 species that roost in the prominent growth of Babul

Acacia nilotica

Acacia nilotica is a species of Acacia native to Africa and the Indian subcontinent...

 trees there. International name: Chitragudi and Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary, IBA

Important Bird Area

An Important Bird Area is an area recognized as being globally important habitat for the conservation of bird populations. Currently there are about 10,000 IBAs worldwide. The program was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International...

 Code: IN261, Criteria: A1, A4i.

Geography

The sanctuary area is within the 15 m (49.2 ft) high embankments of the community irrigation tank

Irrigation tank

For etymology, see Storage tank#Etymology.In India, an irrigation tank or tank is an artificial reservoir of any size. . It can also have a natural or man-made spring included as part of a structure...

. The total length of the embankment is 4.01 km (2.5 mi). The crescent-shaped Kanmoi starts at a northern point where an aqueduct

Aqueduct

An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....

 from the Gundar river

Gundar River

Gundar is a river flowing in the Virudhunagar and Tirunelveli districts of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.- See also :List of rivers of Tamil Nadu...

 flows into the Kanmoi. There are five sluices that drain water to the agricultural lands. The wetland is irregular in depth and retains water for 3 to 5 months if rain is normal. Excess flood water is let out towards Chitrangudi village through a sluice gate about 0.5 km (0.310686368324903 mi) from the inlet aqueduct.

Flora

The sanctuary vegetation is mostly Tropical Dry Deciduous

Deccan thorn scrub forests

The Deccan thorn scrub forests is a xeric shrubland ecoregion of India and northernmost Sri Lanka, a large area that was once forest and home to large numbers of elephants and tigers.-Location and description:...

 forest. It is dominated by Babul (Thorn mimosa) along with Prosopis juliflora

Prosopis juliflora

Prosopis juliflora is a shrub or small tree native to Mexico, South America and the Caribbean. It has become established as a weed in Asia, Australia and elsewhere. Its uses include forage, wood and environmental management. The tree grows to a height of up to and has a trunk with a diameter of...

 and the grasses Bermuda grass

Cynodon dactylon

Cynodon dactylon , also known as Dūrvā Grass, Bermuda Grass, Dubo, Dog's Tooth Grass, Bahama Grass, Devil's Grass, Couch Grass, Indian Doab, Arugampul, Grama, and Scutch Grass, is a grass native to north and east Africa, Asia and Australia and southern Europe...

 and Dichanthium foveolatum (Eremopogon foveolatus). A Babul plantation was planted in 1979 by Farm forestry division. The invasive

Invasive

Invasive may refer to:*A military invasion*An invasive species*An invasive medical procedure*The invasively progressive spread of disease from one organ in the body to another, especially in reference to cancer...

 Prosopis is slowly encroaching on much of the sanctuary area, retarding growth of Babuls. The irrigation tank

Irrigation tank

For etymology, see Storage tank#Etymology.In India, an irrigation tank or tank is an artificial reservoir of any size. . It can also have a natural or man-made spring included as part of a structure...

 bund

Bund

- Organizations :* German American Bund, a pro-Nazi pre-World War II organisation* General Jewish Labour Bund in Lithuania, Poland and Russia, a political party founded in the Russian Empire* General Jewish Labour Bund in Poland, a political party founded in Poland...

 and the area outside the tank have Tamarind trees, Fig

Ficus

Ficus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...

 trees, Neem trees, Portia trees, Silk trees (Albizzia amara), Drumstick

Moringa oleifera

Moringa oleifera, the word Moringa probably came from dravidian language Tamil and commonly referred to as "Shojne" in Bengali, "Munagakaya" in Telugu,"Shenano" in Rajasthani,...

 trees (murungai ), and Palmyra

Borassus flabellifer

Borassus flabellifer, the Asian Palmyra palm, Toddy palm, Sugar palm, or Cambodian palm, is native to South and Southeast Asia, in the Indomalaya ecozone...

 palms. The medicinal plants Ocimum sanctum and Gloriosa superba also grow in the area.

Fauna

The breeding population of migratory waterbirds arrive here between October and February and include: Spot-billed Pelican

Spot-billed Pelican

The Spot-billed Pelican or Grey Pelican is a member of the pelican family. It breeds in southern Asia from southern Pakistan across India east to Indonesia. It is a bird of large inland and coastal waters, especially large lakes...

, Asian Openbill Stork

Asian Openbill Stork

The Asian Openbill or Asian Openbill Stork, Anastomus oscitans, is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to Southeast Asia....

, Grey heron

Grey Heron

The Grey Heron , is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in the milder south and west, but many birds retreat in winter from the ice in colder regions...

, Purple heron

Purple Heron

The Purple Heron is a wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, breeding in Africa, central and southern Europe, and southern and eastern Asia. The European populations are migratory, wintering in tropical Africa; the more northerly Asian populations also migrate further south within Asia...

, Pond heron, Little egret

Little Egret

The Little Egret is a small white heron. It is the Old World counterpart to the very similar New World Snowy Egret.-Subspecies:Depending on authority, two or three subspecies of Little Egret are currently accepted....

 and Great egret

Great Egret

The Great Egret , also known as the Great White Egret or Common Egret, White Heron, or Great White Heron, is a large, widely-distributed egret. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, in southern Europe it is rather localized...

.

Visitor Information

The sanctuary is open year round and can be reached by road from Sayalgudi

Sayalgudi

Sayalgudi is a panchayat town in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.- Demographics : India census, Sayalgudi had a population of 12,049. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Sayalgudi has an average literacy rate of 68%, higher than the national average of...

 12km, Ramanathapuram

Ramanathapuram

Ramanathapuram , also known as Ramnad, is a city and a municipality in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Ramanathapuram district.-Tourism:...

 45km and Madurai

Madurai

Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...

 120 km. The nearest railway station is Ramanathapuram

Ramanathapuram

Ramanathapuram , also known as Ramnad, is a city and a municipality in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Ramanathapuram district.-Tourism:...

 and the nearest airport is Madurai.

Accommodation is available at PWD Rest House at Mudukulathur

Mudukulathur

Mudukulathur is a panchayat town in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.A highly under-developed region of the state. Most of the families of this town and villages around are making their living out of farming and farm related activities,unfortunately that mainly depends on...

 10 kilometres (6.2 mi), the Forest Rest House at Sayalgudi and at Paramakudi

Paramakudi

Paramakudi is a town, a municipality in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The river Vaigai flows through Paramakudi on its way to the Bay of Bengal.-Demographics and location:...

.

Contact: Wildlife Warden, Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, Mandapam

Mandapam

Mandapam is a panchayat town in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-Geography:Mandapam is located at . It has an average elevation of 9 metres .-Demographics:...

, Ramanathapuram Dt., Tamil Nadu. Phone:04567-230079.