Bird Walk at Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary (Vandipalayam Bridge), near Puducherry
- Near Puducherry
- 13 September, 2026
- Praveen Pandian
About Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary (Vandipalayam Bridge)
Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary is a vast coastal wetland landscape in northern Tamil Nadu, comprising shallow waters, mudflats, marshes, open grassland, and seasonally inundated areas. The Vandipalayam Bridge area provides access to a section of this wetland mosaic, where changing water levels create a dynamic landscape throughout the year. During the monsoon and wetter months, the low-lying areas fill with water, while drier periods expose mudflats and open patches that remain important parts of the wetland ecosystem. The surrounding landscape includes agricultural fields, settlements, roads, and patches of natural vegetation, creating a transition between the wetland and the human-dominated surroundings.
The seasonal nature of Kazhuveli makes it particularly important as a refuge within the coastal landscape. Its shallow waters and exposed wetland edges support a range of ecological processes, while the surrounding vegetation provides additional habitat and shelter. The area is also influenced by the movement of water between different parts of the wetland, making the maintenance of natural drainage and seasonal inundation important for its ecological health. Increasing development, changes in land use, pollution, disturbance, and alterations to water flow can affect the quality and extent of wetland habitat. Protecting the interconnected wetland landscape around Vandipalayam Bridge is therefore important for maintaining the ecological character of Kazhuveli.
Bird Guide: Praveen Pandian
He is a wildlife enthusiast, birder, and photographer with 9 years of experience documenting around 800 bird species across India, Southeast Asia, and Africa. He has extensive birding experience in Chennai, Vedanthangal, and Puducherry, and enjoys sharing bird identification tips, behaviour, and habitat insights with fellow birders. His depth of field experience and eye for detail make every walk with him both informative and engaging.
Bird walk Location
Common birds of Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary (Vandipalayam Bridge)
Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary is a spectacular coastal wetland where shallow waters, marshes and mudflats create a haven for both resident and migratory birds. The sanctuary comes alive with an impressive variety of waterbirds, including Indian Spot-billed Duck, Fulvous Whistling Duck, Lesser Whistling Duck, Black-winged Stilt, Eurasian Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Painted Stork, Caspian Tern, Indian Cormorant, Little Cormorant, Striated Heron, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Little Egret, Intermediate Egret, Great Egret, Common Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Eurasian Moorhen and Baya Weaver. From waders probing the mudflats to kingfishers darting across the water and migratory birds arriving along the flyway, Kazhuveli offers an ever-changing spectacle of wetland life, while also highlighting the importance of protecting these fragile habitats from pollution, habitat alteration, changing water regimes and other growing pressures.
Indian Spot-billed Duck
Fulvous Whistling Duck
Lesser Whistling Duck
Black-winged Stilt
Eurasian Moorhen
Baya Weaver
Pied Kingfisher
Blue-tailed Bee-eater
Eurasian Whimbrel
Eurasian Curlew
Caspian Tern
Painted Stork
Indian Cormorant
Little Cormorant
Striated Heron
Grey Heron
Purple Heron
Little Egret
Great Egret
Common Kingfisher
Summary of Walk
The Vandipalayam Bridge area of Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary, near Puducherry, hosted an exceptional bird walk on 13 September, with 18 participants — a mix of amateur and advanced birders — led by guide Praveen Pandian. The session began at the bridge, where Painted Storks and Black-headed Ibises were busy feeding, and the group quickly added all three local kingfisher species to their list.
In just two hours, the group recorded an impressive 43 species, including a Grey Heron fishing, a Spot-billed Pelican gracefully catching fish, and a colony of Baya Weaver nests. But the two biggest moments came right at the end: a pair of Ruddy Turnstones — a especially significant sighting, as the species reportedly hadn’t been recorded at Kazhuveli for several decades — followed by a Western Marsh Harrier scouting across the wetland, an unusually early sighting for the season. It was a truly special morning that once again proved how much diversity a small stretch of Kazhuveli can hold.
Number of Participants
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