Bird Walk at Singanallur Lake, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

About Singanallur Lake

Singanallur Lake is an important urban wetland in Coimbatore, forming a large water body within a landscape surrounded by roads, residential areas, and other urban development. The lake has open water, shallow margins, marshy sections, and areas of aquatic and shoreline vegetation that change with seasonal water levels. These varied wetland conditions create a dynamic landscape, with exposed edges and muddy areas becoming more prominent when water levels recede. The surrounding green spaces and vegetation further add to the ecological character of the site. Despite being situated within a growing city, Singanallur Lake remains an important natural space and part of Coimbatore’s network of urban wetlands.

Its ecological condition is closely linked to water quality, seasonal inflows, shoreline vegetation, and the surrounding land-use pattern. Urban expansion, pollution, waste accumulation, encroachment, and changes to natural drainage can place pressure on the wetland. Maintaining the lake, its margins, and the surrounding green areas is therefore important for preserving its ecological value and ensuring that this urban wetland continues to function as a natural habitat.

Bird Guide: Sathish Ramamoorthy- TREE NGO

Mr. Sathish Ramamoorthy is the Founder of TREE NGO (Trust for Environment and Ecosystem), based in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. He started his journey in wildlife photography in 2003 and brings 23 years of experience in wildlife and nature documentation, along with 12 years of experience as a birder. Through TREE NGO, he works with government departments, educational institutions, local communities, and environmental organisations to promote biodiversity conservation, birdwatching, nature education, waste management, plastic pollution awareness, and habitat conservation. With strong field experience in wildlife, birds, and nature, he believes that connecting people, especially students and young people, with nature is the key to creating responsible conservationists and environmentally conscious citizens.

Bird walk Location

Common birds of Singanallur Lake

Singanallur Lake supports a diverse bird community, with a particularly strong representation of waterbirds and shorebirds. Waterfowl such as Garganey, Indian Spot-billed Duck, and Eurasian Coot are recorded alongside wetland species including Black-winged Stilt, Little Ringed Plover, Yellow-wattled Lapwing, Red-wattled Lapwing, Kentish Plover, and Greater Painted-Snipe. The lake also attracts a variety of waders, including Black-tailed Godwit, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Temminck’s Stint, and Little Stint. Gull-billed Tern adds another element to the wetland bird diversity. The surrounding habitats support a range of terrestrial birds as well, including Indian Peafowl, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Spotted Dove, Laughing Dove, Pied Cuckoo, Asian Koel, and Asian Palm Swift. Together, the records demonstrate the variety of birds associated with Singanallur Lake, from resident waterbirds to seasonal and migratory shorebirds, as well as species using the surrounding terrestrial habitats. The diversity of recorded birds highlights the importance of the lake within the Coimbatore landscape.