Bird Walk at Pallikarnai Marshland, Chennai, TN

Twenty-one participants joined guide Francis Anish at Pallikarnai Marshland, one of Chennai’s last remaining natural wetlands and an important habitat for both resident and migratory waterbirds along the city’s southern edge. The session went smoothly from start to finish, with a group that included several serious photographers alongside first-time birders, all equally keen to learn identification skills. Many participants recorded lifers during the walk, which added a special sense of achievement to what was already a species-rich and well-organised outing across the marshland’s varied wetland terrain and open grassland patches.
The group logged 35 species in total, with the Greater Painted-Snipe, Streaked Weaver, and Black-winged Kite standing out as the top highlights, alongside a Wood Sandpiper that rounded out a strong wader count for the morning session. Participants left enthusiastic and eager to join more walks across other parts of Chennai, with several noting that Ataavi’s walks are more commonly held elsewhere in India and expressing hope for a stronger, more regular presence in the city going forward. The marshland once again proved its worth as a critical urban wetland deserving continued attention, protection, and community engagement, with Francis noting that turnout like this bodes well for building a regular birding community in Chennai.