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Vedanthangal Bird SanctuaryFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Vedanthankal Lake Bird Sanctuary(Tamil: வடதக பறவகசரணலய) is a 30 ha (70-acre) sanctuary located in the Kancheepuram District of the

state of Tamil Nadu, India. The sanctuary is about 75 km from Chennai on National Highway 45

(NH45) south of Chengalpattu.

Vedanthangal is a home for migratory birds, such as pintail, garganey, grey wagtail, blue-

winged teal, common sandpiper and some more.[1]. 

Vedanthangal is at around one and half hour journey from Chennai. It is one of the oldest water

bird sanctuaries in the country. Vedanthangal in Tamil language means 'hamlet of the hunter'[2]. This area was a favourite hunting spot for the local landlords 300 years ago. The region

attracted a variety of birds because it was dotted with small lakes that acted as feeding

grounds for the birds. Realising its ornithological importance, the British government undertook

steps to develop Vedanthangal into a bird sanctuary as early as 1798. This was established in

1858 by the order of the Collector of Chingleput District.

The best time to visit this sanctuary is from November to March. During this time birds are

mostly busy in building and maintaining their nests.

Villagers near this sanctuary are very concerned about the Sanctuary and the birds coming to

this sanctuary, and they have taken many serious steps to avoid disturbance to the flow of

birds.

History of the Park

The Vedanthangal lake bird sanctuary has a tradition of the people actively protecting birds

coming to the area since time immemorial. The local people understood the relationship

between birds and the productivity of their crops even before the concept of wildlife conservation

came into vogue. They knew that the bird droppings in the water created guano which acted as

fertilizer. Towards the end of the 18th century local villagers complained to the collector of

Chengalpet Lionel Palace, about the British soldiers shooting the birds. They demanded and

obtained a 'Cowle' from the collector (Mr Place, Collector of Chingleput 1796-1798[3]) to protect

the birds. In 1936 the collector officially recognized the lake as a sanctuary. In 1962 it was

given the legal status of reserved forest under the Madras Forest Act.

Several accounts of the sanctuary were published in the mid-19th Century.[4][5] Vedanthangal

Bird Sanctuary is one of the oldest bird sanctuaries in India, and has been fiercely protected by

the local population for well over 250 years. In 1936, the park was notified as a sanctuary, and

in 1962, the Madras Forest Act legally accorded the status of a reserve forest to Vedanthangal.

Ten years later, the place was declared as a wildlife sanctuary.

In government order (G. O. Ms. No. 199 E&F (FR V(1)) Dept. Dated 8.7.1988) the area has been declared as Vedanthangal Lake Bird

Sanctuary, under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.

In 1967 a rest house was constructed for the convenience of visiting inspecting officers and tourists.

The area had a compact grove of 500 Barringtonia  trees earlier. An additional 100 trees were planted in 1973 and over 1,000 trees were planted

in 1996.

See

Karikili Bird Sanctuary: Karikili bird sanctuary is located at a distance of around 9 km from the Vedanthangal bird sanctuary. The best time for 

bird watching is in the morning.

Bird species

The sanctuary features thousands of birds coming from various countries, some of which can be easily identified. Some easily found bird

species include Cormorants, Darter, Grebes, Large Egret, Little Egrets, Moorhen, Night Herons, Paddy Bird, Painted Stork, Pintails, Pond

Heron, Sandpiper, Shovellers, Terns, White Ibis and many more. The migratory birds include Garganey Teals Canada, Snake Bird Sri Lanka,

Grey Pelican Australia, Grey Heron Bangladesh, Open-billed Stork Bangladesh, Glossy Ibis Sri Lanka, Painted Stork Siberia, Spoonbill Burma

This article does not cite any references or sources.

Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and

removed. (January 2009)

Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary

— nature reserve —

View of Vedanthankal Lake 

Location of Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary

in Tamil Nadu and India 

Coordinates 12°32′44″N 79°51′17″E

Country   India

State Tamil Nadu

District(s) Kancheepuram

Established 1936

Nearest city Chennai

Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)

Area >0.3 km2 (0 sq mi)>

Governing

body

Ministry of Environment and

Forests, Government of India

Coordinates 12°32′44″N 79°51′17″E

Contents 

1 History of the Park

2 See 

3 Bird species 

4 Location 

5 Flora and fauna 

6 See also 

7 References 8 External links 

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VedanthangalSanctuary

Coordinates: 12°32′44″N 79°51′17″E

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and Spot Bill Duck Canada.

Location

Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary is located near Vedanthangal Karikili in the district of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu.

Area: 2 km2. 

Flora and fauna

Flora: Barringtonia acutangula, Acacia nilotica, Alangium salviflorum trees and dry evergreen scrub and thorn forests.

Fauna: Monkeys and other common mammals can be spotted.

Avian-Fauna: Garganey teals, glossy ibis, grey heron, grey pelican, open-billed stork, painted stork,vsnake bird, spoonbill, spot bill duck,

cormorants, darter, grebes, large egret, little egrets, moorhen, night herons, paddy bird, painted stork, pintails, pond heron, sandpiper,

shovellers, terns, white ibis.

See also

List of birds of South India 

List of birds of Tamil Nadu 

References

1. ^ Vedanthangal - M.Krishnan pg.9  

2. ^ University of Chennai - Tamil Lexicon  

3. ^ Bates, RSP (1931). Birdlife in I ndia  . Bombay Natural History Society.

4. ^ Shortt, John (1866). "Account of a heronry, and breeding-place of other water-birds, in

southern India" . Zoologist  1: 11-16.

5. ^ Hume, AO (1889). The nests and eggs of Indian Birds. Volume 3  . R H Porter. pp. 238-239.

External links

Categories: Bird sanctuaries of India | Tamil Nadu geography stubs 

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