Udayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary

Udayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Location within Tamil Nadu Location within India
Interactive map of Udayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary
Location	Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, India
Area	0.45 km2 (0.17 sq mi)
Established	1998
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Udhayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary
Designated	8 April 2022
Reference no.	2476

Udayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary is a 0.45-square-kilometre (0.17 sq mi) protected area in Tiruvarur District, Tamil Nadu, India, at 10°26′59″N 79°27′58″E.

In 1999, this sanctuary was declared as a protected area. It has been designated as a protected Ramsar site since 2022.

Fauna

Openbill stork

A notable aspect of the sanctuary is the large number of purple moorhen and openbill storks during February and March.

Notes

The Udayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary covers an area of around 0.45 square kilometres (0.17 sq mi) and is fed by an irrigation tank that receives water from the Mettur Dam. The tank remains dry between the months of April and August.

During the months of February and March, purple-moorhens and openbill storks can be seen here. Other migratory birds in the sanctuary include the white-ibis, Indian reef heron, white-necked stork, grey-heron, coot, night heron, purple-heron, little cormorant, spoonbill and darter.

From September through December, the bird population inhabiting the sanctuary rises to around 10,000 birds. The ideal season to visit this sanctuary is during the months of November and December.