Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary and Bird Sanctuary

By George On

Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary and Point Calimere Bird Sanctuary are protected areas in Tamilnadu, India. It was declared a Ramsar wetland of International Importance in 2022.

Brahminy Kites and Brown-headed Gulls at Point Calimere Bird Sanctuary
Brahminy Kites and Brown-headed Gulls at Point Calimere Bird Sanctuary

This Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary is an ecologically sensitive wetland along the Palk Strait in Nagapattinam district on the Bay of Bengal coast at Point Calimere. 12,407.27 hectares of land were added to the existing 21.47-square-kilometer protected area in 2013, making it one of the largest bird sanctuaries in south India. There is a proposal to declare a national park in the core area of the sanctuary.

This Wildlife Sanctuary & Bird Sanctuary is an island surrounded by the Bay of Bengal, Palk Strait, backwaters, and salt pans. Many dunes exist along with these areas.

Point Calimere is rich in biodiversity and is home to many endangered and protected wild animals and birds. It is the second-largest congregation of migratory birds in India. Initially, This area was declared a protected area to protect the endangered Blackbuck antelope.

This bird sanctuary used to be the home for more than four lacks of migratory birds, numbering around 236 species. Over the years, the number of migratory birds visiting the area has reduced considerably due to poaching and other human activities in and around the area. This resulted in a recent addition of protected areas to the existing protected areas of the Bird Sanctuary.

Greater Flamingos, Painted storks, Black-necked Stork, spot-billed pelicans, spoonbill sandpipers, Nordmann’s Greenshank, black-necked storks, white ibis, spoonbill sandpipers, Asian dowitcher, etc., are some of the migratory birds found in the Bird Sanctuary.

These areas around the Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary are rich in fauna like mangroves and grasslands. Please carry bird-watching binoculars when you go to this bird sanctuary.

How Do I Go to Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary?

The Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary entrance is a  distance of 55 kilometers from Nagapattinam at Vedaranyam. Nagapattinam is a major town in Tamilnadu which is well connected by roads and trains.

Thiruchirapally, alias Trichy has the nearest airport to this Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary. Chennai is 380 kilometers from this Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary.

Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary and Point Calimere Bird Sanctuary are open until 5 pm on all days. October to January is the ideal season for bird-watching migratory birds.