Bird Walk at Ponnuthu Amman Temple, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

About Ponnuthu Amman Temple

In the Western Ghats foothills northwest of Coimbatore, a forest path climbs into the Thadagam Reserve Forest to the small shrine of Ponnuthu Amman. The temple sits beside a sacred spring and a waterfall that flows all year and feeds a rocky pool. Above it rises Kurudi Hill, one of the most striking peaks near the city. The walk passes through dry deciduous forest, thorny scrub, bamboo, rocky slopes and grassy clearings. Dense undergrowth grows along the streams, and trees such as teak, neem, tamarind and wild fig give shade and fruit. This is a working wildlife corridor. Asian elephants regularly cross here and drink at the waterfall, and sambar, spotted deer, wild boar, peafowl, and sometimes a leopard use the same slopes.

For birders, Ponnuthu offers a rich mix of forest and scrub birds right on Coimbatore’s doorstep. Cuckoos and malkohas creep through the thickets, rollers and bee-eaters sit out in the open, and swifts sweep over the ridges. Raptors hunt along the forest edge. But the Thadagam valley is under heavy pressure. Brick kilns and large-scale soil mining have scarred the foothills and cut into elephant routes. Expanding farms and settlements, fences, forest fires, invasive Lantana and litter left by visitors add to the strain, and human–elephant conflict keeps rising as a result. Protecting the corridor, restoring the mined land and visiting the forest responsibly are vital to keeping this sacred grove wild.

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 Ponnuthu Amman Temple

Ponnuthu’s forest edge is full of surprises. The Blue-faced Malkoha, a long-tailed cuckoo with bright blue skin around its eyes and an apple-green bill, creeps quietly through the thickets. The Indian Roller looks dull on its perch, then opens its wings in a flash of brilliant blues. The Black-headed Cuckooshrike and the Common Iora search the leaves for caterpillars, while the Black-hooded Oriole adds bold yellow and black to the canopy. Two drongos share the forest. The glossy Black Drongo prefers open perches, while the White-bellied Drongo, a true forest bird, hunts from the shade. The Black-rumped Flameback drums on old trunks, and the Coppersmith Barbet taps out its steady “tuk-tuk”. Asian Green Bee-eaters sally out after insects. Overhead, big Alpine Swifts race along the ridges beside Little Swifts. A Shikra dashes low through the trees, and the Brahminy Kite circles on chestnut wings. Rose-ringed Parakeets, Greater Coucals and Asian Koels fill the woods with calls. Gray Francolins and Indian Peafowl call from the scrub, and doves feed quietly along the path.