Bird Walk at Kurichi Kulam, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
- Coimbatore
- 15 August, 2026
- Aparna
About Kurichi Kulam
Tucked into the fast-growing city of Coimbatore, Kurichi Kulam is one of the district’s oldest surviving irrigation tanks, part of a chain of roughly thirty tanks first built during the Kongu Chola era of the 8th and 9th centuries to water the fields of the Noyyal river basin. Spread across some 335 acres, the tank was designed to do double duty: storing the monsoon’s runoff for irrigation across thousands of acres of farmland while also acting as a flood buffer for the growing town around it. Recently brought back from years of neglect and encroachment under Coimbatore’s Smart City Mission, the lake today combines open water, reed-lined shallows, and patches of native scrub and tree cover along its banks, including the wooded campus of the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) that borders it.
That mix of habitats makes Kurichi Kulam a rewarding stop for birders, drawing everything from open-water specialists to canopy dwellers. Restoration work has visibly paid off, with migratory birds returning to the tank in the years since its clean-up, alongside residents such as pittas, minivets, and bee-eaters that favour its shaded margins. Like most of Coimbatore’s historic tanks, though, Kurichi Kulam still contends with sewage inflow, plastic waste, and the slow creep of construction along the Noyyal basin’s edges — pressures that citizen groups such as Kurichi Lake–Save Wetlands and the city’s own restoration drive are working to hold back.
Bird Guide: Aparna
She is a wildlife photographer and passionate birdwatcher from Coimbatore with 6 years of experience observing and documenting birds in their natural habitats. Her work combines photography with a strong commitment to wildlife conservation, using visual storytelling to inspire appreciation for nature. She was recognized as a Young Conservationist by the Coimbatore Forest Division for her contributions to conservation awareness and environmental stewardship.
Bird walk Location
Common birds of Kurichi Kulam
Birders visiting Kurichi Kulam and its wooded margins have recorded a pleasing mix of waterside and woodland species, reflecting the tank’s blend of open water and shaded scrub cover. Regulars include the Spotted Dove, Greater Coucal, Alpine Swift, Crested Treeswift, Changeable Hawk-Eagle, Asian Green Bee-eater, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Indian Pitta, Small Minivet, Cinereous Tit, Common Tailorbird, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Red-vented Bulbul, Greenish Warbler, Indian Robin, and Purple-rumped Sunbird. The presence of a shy forest specialist like the Indian Pitta alongside an open-country raptor such as the Changeable Hawk-Eagle hints at just how much habitat variety this modest urban tank still packs in, making it a satisfying outing for local birdwatchers.
Spotted Dove
Indian Peafowl
Greater Coucal
Alpine Swift
Lesser Whistling-Duck
Indian Spot Billed-Duck
Asian Green Bee-eater
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater
Indian Pitta
Grey Heron
Glossy Ibis
Common Tailorbird
Red-whiskered Bulbul
Rose-Ringed Parakeet
Red-vented Bulbul
Great Egret
Indian Robin
Brahminy Kite
Purple-rumped Sunbird
Purple Sunbird
Summary of Walk
Seventeen participants joined guide Aparna at Kurichi Kulam in Coimbatore, a wetland habitat well known among South Indian birders for hosting waders and shorebirds that are harder to find elsewhere in the region. The group approached the walk with focus and patience, scanning the water’s edge carefully for movement, and the effort paid off with a species count that placed this session among the most rewarding wader-focused walks of the entire week across all locations.
The group recorded 55 species in total, with the Tibetan Sand Plover, Kentish Plover, and Pheasant-tailed Jacana standing out as the three headline highlights of the morning, each representing a genuine treat for shorebird enthusiasts in attendance. Participants were unanimous in their feedback afterwards, describing the walk as both highly enjoyable and genuinely interesting given the quality and rarity of the wader sightings on offer that day. Kurichi Kulam once again demonstrated its value as one of Coimbatore’s most important wetland habitats for passage and resident shorebirds alike, well worth regular monitoring visits, and Aparna encouraged the group to return in the coming weeks as more migratory waders begin arriving for the season, promising an even longer and more varied species list on the next scheduled visit.
Number of Participants
0
