Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary
Encyclopedia
Vedanthankal Lake Bird Sanctuary is a 30 hectares (74.1 acre) sanctuary located in the Kancheepuram District of the state of Tamil Nadu
, India
. The sanctuary is about 75 kilometres (46.6 mi) from Chennai
on National Highway 45 (NH45) south of Chengalpattu.
Vedanthangal is a home for migratory birds, such as pintail
, garganey
, grey wagtail
, blue-winged teal
, common sandpiper
and some more..
Vedanthangal is at around one and half hour journey from Chennai
. It is one of the oldest water bird sanctuaries in the country. Vedanthangal in Tamil language means 'hamlet of the hunter' . This area was a favourite hunting spot for the local landlords 300 years ago. The region attracted a variety of birds because it was dotted with small lakes that acted as feeding grounds for the birds. Realising its ornithological importance, the British government undertook steps to develop Vedanthangal into a bird sanctuary as early as 1798. This was established in 1858 by the order of the Collector of Chingleput District.
The best time to visit this sanctuary is from November to March. During this time birds are mostly busy in building and maintaining their nests.
Villagers near this sanctuary are very concerned about the Sanctuary and the birds coming to this sanctuary, and they have taken many serious steps to avoid disturbance to the flow of birds.
Several accounts of the sanctuary were published in the mid-19th Century. Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary is one of the oldest bird sanctuaries in India, and has been fiercely protected by the local population for well over 250 years. In 1936, the park was notified as a sanctuary
, and in 1962, the Madras Forest Act legally accorded the status of a reserve forest to Vedanthangal. Ten years later, the place was declared as a wildlife
sanctuary.
In government order (G. O. Ms. No. 199 E&F (FR V(1)) Dept. Dated 8.7.1988) the area has been declared as Vedanthangal Lake Bird Sanctuary, under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972
.
In 1967 a rest house was constructed for the convenience of visiting inspecting officers and tourists.
The area had a compact grove of 500 Barringtonia
trees earlier. An additional 100 trees were planted in 1973 and over 1,000 trees were planted in 1996.
Area: 30 hectares (74.1 acre)
The Vedanthangal Bird sanctuary will be open from 6 AM to 6 PM.
Fauna: Monkeys and other common mammals can be spotted.
Avian-Fauna: Garganey teals, glossy ibis, grey heron, grey pelican, open-billed stork, painted stork,vsnake bird, spoonbill, spot bill duck, cormorants, darter, grebes, large egret, little egrets, moorhen, night herons, paddy bird, painted stork, pintails, pond heron, sandpiper, shovellers, terns, white ibis. They are migrating from Europe to Vedanthangal during November and December because they are facing severe cold climate in Europe.
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...
. The sanctuary is about 75 kilometres (46.6 mi) from Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
on National Highway 45 (NH45) south of Chengalpattu.
Vedanthangal is a home for migratory birds, such as pintail
Northern Pintail
The Pintail or Northern Pintail is a widely occurring duck which breeds in the northern areas of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migratory and winters south of its breeding range to the equator...
, garganey
Garganey
The Garganey is a small dabbling duck. It breeds in much of Europe and western Asia, but is strictly migratory, with the entire population moving to southern Africa, India Santragachi and Australasia in winter, where large flocks can occur. This species was first described by Linnaeus in 1758...
, grey wagtail
Grey Wagtail
The Grey Wagtail is a small member of the wagtail family, Motacillidae. The species looks similar to the Yellow Wagtail but has the yellow on its underside restricted to the throat and vent. Breeding males have a black throat...
, blue-winged teal
Blue-winged Teal
The Blue-winged Teal is a small dabbling duck from North America.-Description:The Blue-winged Teal is long, with a wingspan of , and a weight of . The adult male has a greyish blue head with a white facial crescent, a light brown body with a white patch near the rear and a black tail. The adult...
, common sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
The Common Sandpiper is a small Palearctic wader. This bird and its American sister species, the Spotted Sandpiper , make up the genus Actitis. They are parapatric and replace each other geographically; stray birds of either species may settle down with breeders of the other and hybridize...
and some more..
Vedanthangal is at around one and half hour journey from Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
. It is one of the oldest water bird sanctuaries in the country. Vedanthangal in Tamil language means 'hamlet of the hunter' . This area was a favourite hunting spot for the local landlords 300 years ago. The region attracted a variety of birds because it was dotted with small lakes that acted as feeding grounds for the birds. Realising its ornithological importance, the British government undertook steps to develop Vedanthangal into a bird sanctuary as early as 1798. This was established in 1858 by the order of the Collector of Chingleput District.
The best time to visit this sanctuary is from November to March. During this time birds are mostly busy in building and maintaining their nests.
Villagers near this sanctuary are very concerned about the Sanctuary and the birds coming to this sanctuary, and they have taken many serious steps to avoid disturbance to the flow of birds.
History of the Park
The Vedanthangal lake bird sanctuary has a tradition of the people actively protecting birds coming to the area since time immemorial. The local people understood the relationship between birds and the productivity of their crops even before the concept of wildlife conservation came into vogue. They knew that the bird droppings in the water created guano which acted as fertilizer. Towards the end of the 18th century local villagers complained to the collector of Chengalpet Lionel Palace, about the British soldiers shooting the birds. They demanded and obtained a 'Cowle' from the collector (Mr Place, Collector of Chingleput 1796-1798) to protect the birds. In 1936 the collector officially recognized the lake as a sanctuary. In 1962 it was given the legal status of reserved forest under the Madras Forest Act.Several accounts of the sanctuary were published in the mid-19th Century. Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary is one of the oldest bird sanctuaries in India, and has been fiercely protected by the local population for well over 250 years. In 1936, the park was notified as a sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
, and in 1962, the Madras Forest Act legally accorded the status of a reserve forest to Vedanthangal. Ten years later, the place was declared as a wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
sanctuary.
In government order (G. O. Ms. No. 199 E&F (FR V(1)) Dept. Dated 8.7.1988) the area has been declared as Vedanthangal Lake Bird Sanctuary, under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972
Wildlife Protection Act of 1972
The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 refers to a sweeping package of legislation enacted in 1972 by the Government of India. Before 1972, India only had five designated national parks...
.
In 1967 a rest house was constructed for the convenience of visiting inspecting officers and tourists.
The area had a compact grove of 500 Barringtonia
Barringtonia
Barringtonia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lecythidaceae. A common name is cornbeefwood.Bengali name is "Hijalna".Species include:* Barringtonia acutangula* Barringtonia asiatica* Barringtonia calyptrata...
trees earlier. An additional 100 trees were planted in 1973 and over 1,000 trees were planted in 1996.
Karikili Bird Sanctuary
Karikili bird sanctuary is located at a distance of around 9 km from the Vedanthangal bird sanctuary. The best time for bird watching is in the morning.Bird species
The sanctuary features thousands of birds coming from various countries, some of which can be easily identified. Some easily found bird species include Cormorants, Darter, Grebes, Large Egret, Little Egrets, Moorhen, Night Herons, Paddy Bird, Painted Stork, Pintails, Pond Heron, Sandpiper, Shovellers, Terns, White Ibis and many more. The migratory birds include Garganey Teals Canada, Snake Bird Sri Lanka, Grey Pelican Australia, Grey Heron Bangladesh, Open-billed Stork Bangladesh, Glossy Ibis Sri Lanka, Painted Stork Siberia, Spoonbill Burma and Spot Bill Duck Canada.Location
Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary is located near Vedanthangal Karikili in the district of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu.Area: 30 hectares (74.1 acre)
How to reach
If you are coming from Chennai by bus then one should reach Chengalpattu bus stand. From Chengalpattu there are town buses to the Vedanthangal bird sanctuary.The Vedanthangal Bird sanctuary will be open from 6 AM to 6 PM.
Flora and fauna
Flora: Barringtonia acutangula, Acacia nilotica, Alangium salviflorum trees and dry evergreen scrub and thorn forests.Fauna: Monkeys and other common mammals can be spotted.
Avian-Fauna: Garganey teals, glossy ibis, grey heron, grey pelican, open-billed stork, painted stork,vsnake bird, spoonbill, spot bill duck, cormorants, darter, grebes, large egret, little egrets, moorhen, night herons, paddy bird, painted stork, pintails, pond heron, sandpiper, shovellers, terns, white ibis. They are migrating from Europe to Vedanthangal during November and December because they are facing severe cold climate in Europe.