As phase one of the State-wide synchronised bird survey organised by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department is set to begin on January 27, birds in 15 wetlands of Chennai will be assessed.
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Pallikaranai marshland, an important spot for both migratory and resident birds, will be split into nine spots. The survey, which provides data not only on the bird species but also on the status of the wetlands, will also include Korattur lake, Ambattur lake, Adyar estuary, Nanmangalam, Perumbakkam, Chitlapakkam, Vandalur, Nedungundram, Potheri, Velachery, Thathankuppam lake, Porur lake, Ennore river, and Adyar river in Nandambakkam, said Shanmugam, District Forest Officer, Chennai.
The wetland birds will be surveyed over two days. The Department has announced terrestrial bird surveys on March 2 and 3.
Two important bird sanctuaries close to the city are Vedanthangal and Pulicat. A significant drop in the number of bird species and individual birds was recorded in the 2023 survey owing to a dry Maduranthakam lake. As per officials in the sanctuary, while the numbers have not greatly increased from last year, a clear picture will be known only after the survey.
Around the Vedanthangal sanctuary, other wetlands such as Karikili sanctuary, Andavakkam lake, Chithalamangalam lake, and Maduranthakam lake will also be assessed, according to A.M. Aravind, a birder who will be part of the survey team. In wetlands where flocks of birds gather, the surveyors roughly split the area into grids and make an estimation of the birds, he said.