Bird Walk at Avadi Paruthipattu Lake Green Park, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

About Avadi Paruthipattu Lake Green Park

In Avadi, on Chennai’s western edge, Paruthipattu Lake shows what a neglected city lake can become. Encroachment and construction had once shrunk it to just 8 acres. In 2018 the Water Resources Department began a major restoration that brought it back to about 54 acres and an average depth of 12 feet, and the lake eco-park opened in 2019. Surplus water from the Cooum River and treated water from a nearby sewage plant keep it topped up, which also recharges groundwater for the surrounding neighbourhoods. Today a 3-km walking path circles the lake, with native plantings, reedy margins, open water, and islands built specially for birds to rest and nest. Fish, frogs, turtles and dragonflies have returned with the water.

For birders, the green park is an easy place to see how quickly birds respond to a healthy wetland. Ducks, grebes, coots and cormorants use the open water. Openbill storks, herons and waterhens work the shallow edges, and three species of kingfisher hunt from the banks. The planted areas and scrub are filling with prinias, tailorbirds, bee-eaters and francolins. The lake’s future still needs care, though. Its water quality depends on how well the sewage plant keeps working. Encroachment pressure, plastic waste and heavy visitor traffic are constant challenges, and over-landscaping can strip away the reeds and wild edges that birds rely on. Keeping the islands undisturbed, protecting natural vegetation and keeping the water clean will help Paruthipattu stay a thriving refuge for birds.

Bird walk Location

Common birds of Avadi Paruthipattu Lake Green Park

The star of Paruthipattu is the Fulvous Whistling-Duck, a rich cinnamon-coloured duck that is uncommon in Chennai. It whistles softly as flocks fly in over the water. Asian Openbills wade through the shallows, using the gap in their bills to crack open snail shells. The lake is also a great place to see kingfishers, with three species here. The black-and-white Pied Kingfisher hovers in the air before diving straight down. The tiny Common Kingfisher streaks turquoise along the bank, and the White-throated Kingfisher calls loudly from its perch. Indian Spot-billed Ducks, Little Grebes and Eurasian Coots dot the open water, while Little Cormorants dive for fish and then sit drying their wings on the islands. Indian Pond-Herons and White-breasted Waterhens move along the reedy margins, and Red-wattled Lapwings keep a noisy watch on the shore. Around the park, Asian Green Bee-eaters swoop after insects, and a Shikra hunts from the trees. Black Drongos, Ashy Prinias and Common Tailorbirds liven up the bushes, while Gray Francolins and the Asian Koel fill the air with calls.