Vedanthangal bird’s sanctuary is the oldest and smallest one in India with great history. This sanctuary came into being only by the great effects of the local people. The people living in and around Vedanthagal understood the importance of birds in agriculture, they realized that droppings of these birds are rich in nitrogen and so are great manures to the fields than the artificial fertilizers. From 1798 they started to raise awareness to the government about converting this small tank into a sanctuary and finally they got it done. This little sanctuary is a sweet home to thirty thousand birds and also tops first in attracting tourists at large number. Especially during the months of October and January visitors throng here to witness the nesting of birds at a very close range.
This sanctuary is located 48 km inland from Bay of Bengal at Chengalpet district.

Flora

Being small in area, not much varieties of trees are found. Predominantly water plants, and Barringtonia trees are present. During summer season, not much water is left in the pond, so most of the water plants can’t survive. Other tall trees serves as the platform for the birds to build their nests.

Fauna

The first bird to inhabit Vedanthangal is Openbilled stroks. They visit this sanctuary every season and breed twice before leaving. Egrets, Spot billed pelican, Painted stork, Great cormorant, Indian Cormorant, Darter, Eurasian spoonbill, Asian openbill, and Black-headed Ibis are few frequently seen birds in Vedanthangal. We can also spot lots of bird varieties. Apart from birds most common animals found here are Jackal, Jungle Cat, Wild Boar, and Black-naped Hare.

Approach

This sanctuary can be easily approached from Chengalpet, Mamallapuram and Chennai. There are both train and bus facilities from all these places. Nearest airport is at Chennai.

Tourist info

This sanctuary is open for all throughout the year. The best time to visit is November to April. Only during these season we can see birds nestling with their babies at a very near range.