Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary

Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary is a protected bird sanctuary centered on an irrigation tank in Kanjirankulam village, Mudukulathur Taluk, Ramanathapuram District, Tamil Nadu. Declared in 1989, it covers about 1.04 square kilometres and is designated as an Important Bird Area. The wetland attracts large breeding colonies of migratory waterbirds, including painted storks, herons, ibises and egrets, especially during the northeast monsoon season.

Visitors can expect a quiet, shallow irrigation tank surrounded by scrub and agricultural fields with a watchtower for observation. The sanctuary is known for seasonal congregations of waterbirds nesting on acacia and babul trees within the tank. Visitors can walk along the bund, observe birds with binoculars, and photograph colonies from designated viewpoints. Facilities are basic, with limited shade and minimal visitor infrastructure, offering a natural, undisturbed wetland experience.

The irrigation tank at Kanjirankulam was declared as Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary in 1989 by the Government of Tamil Nadu for protection of migratory waterbirds. It has since been managed by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department and recognized as an Important Bird Area (IBA) due to its significant breeding populations of colonial waterbirds.