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India India bird sanctuary

Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary

193 bird species recorded; the most from January to February.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec179at the peak
Species recorded in each month · tap a month

Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 by EOX IT Services GmbH (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data), CC BY 4.0, with relief shading from Copernicus WorldDEM-30

This month here

170 species in January.

The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.

Whiskered Tern
Whiskered TernChlidonias hybridaWinter visitorMarek Szczepanek · CC BY-SA 3.0
Little Grebe
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisWinter visitorZeynel Cebeci · CC BY-SA 4.0
Northern Shoveler
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorAndreas Trepte · CC BY-SA 2.5
Glossy Ibis
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusWinter visitorEgretta_garzetta_Plegadis_falcinellus_Syracuse.jpg : Gabriele Iuvara derivative work: MPF · CC BY-SA 2.0
Barn swallow
Barn swallowHirundo rusticaWinter visitorAndreas Trepte · CC BY-SA 2.5
Garganey
GarganeySpatula querquedulaWinter visitorpeterichman · CC BY-SA 2.0
Laughing Dove
Laughing DoveSpilopelia senegalensisWinter visitorGiles Laurent · CC BY-SA 4.0
Blyth’s Reed Warbler
Blyth’s Reed WarblerAcrocephalus dumetorumWinter visitorTisha Mukherjee · CC BY-SA 4.0
Great Cormorant
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboWinter visitorJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Red-wattled Lapwing
Red-wattled LapwingVanellus indicusResidentRed-wattled_Lapwing_cropped.jpg : * Red-wattled_Lapwing.jpg : Karunakar Rayker from India · CC BY 2.0
Black Drongo
Black DrongoDicrurus macrocercusResidentFabian Roudra Baroi · CC BY-SA 4.0
Indian Pond-Heron
Indian Pond-HeronArdeola grayiiResidentVivek Puliyeri · CC BY-SA 4.0
Wood Sandpiper
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaWinter visitorKoshy Koshy from Faridabad, Haryana, India · CC BY 2.0
Common Myna
Common MynaAcridotheres tristisResidentTisha Mukherjee · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cotton Pygmy Goose
Cotton Pygmy GooseNettapus coromandelianusWinter visitorGlen Fergus · CC BY-SA 2.5
Asian Open-bill Stork
Asian Open-bill StorkAnastomus oscitansResidentJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Grey Heron
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentVassilios Vescoukis · CC BY-SA 4.0
Little Egret
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentBirdman1 · CC BY 2.5
Little Cormorant
Little CormorantMicrocarbo nigerResidentshankar s. from Dubai, united arab emirates · CC BY 2.0
White-breasted Kingfisher
White-breasted KingfisherHalcyon smyrnensisResidentZeynel Cebeci · CC BY-SA 4.0
Common Moorhen
Common MoorhenGallinula chloropusWinter visitorMonkey Boy from Johannesburg, South Africa · CC BY-SA 2.0
Oriental Darter
Oriental DarterAnhinga melanogasterResidentJ.M.Garg · CC BY-SA 3.0
Yellow-billed Babbler
Yellow-billed BabblerTurdoides affinisResidentSreedharan 283655 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Asian Palm-swift
Asian Palm-swiftCypsiurus balasiensisResidentDr. Raju Kasambe · CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Resident all year
  • Summer visitor comes to breed
  • Winter visitor comes for the winter
  • Passage migrant in spring and autumn

In numbers

193 species, counted.

64out of 100

Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).

  • 193Speciesrecorded more than once
  • 76Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
  • 2ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
  • 16,221Recordsopen records within 4 km
  • 50 mAltitudeabove the sea
  • 19Raptors
  • 2Owls
  • 21Waders
  • 6Gulls & seabirds
  • 14Ducks & geese
  • 18Herons, ibises & grebes
  • 3Storks & cranes
  • 1Flamingos
  • 73Songbirds
  • 36Other birds

From open records (eBird and others, through GBIF, licensed for any use). More birdwatchers mean more records: a quiet place may have more birds than it shows.

The checklist

All 193 species.

By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.

Raptors19 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Brahminy KiteHaliastur indus
  • Black KiteMilvus migrans
  • OspreyPandion haliaetus
  • Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
  • Greater spotted eagleAquila clanga
  • Black-winged KiteElanus caeruleus
  • Crested Honey BuzzardPernis ptilorhynchus
  • Booted eagleHieraaetus pennatus
  • White-eyed BuzzardButastur teesa
  • Short-toed eagleCircaetus gallicus
  • Indian spotted eagleAquila hastata
  • Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
  • Red-headed FalconFalco chicqueraNT
  • Crested Serpent EagleSpilornis cheela
  • Pallid HarrierCircus macrourusNT
  • Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus
  • Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
  • Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
  • Bonelli's EagleAquila fasciata
Owls2 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Spotted OwletAthene brama
  • Eastern Barn OwlTyto javanica
Waders21 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Red-wattled LapwingVanellus indicus
  • Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
  • Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
  • Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
  • Pheasant-tailed JacanaHydrophasianus chirurgus
  • Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
  • Yellow-wattled LapwingVanellus malabaricus
  • Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
  • Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
  • Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
  • Marsh SandpiperTringa stagnatilis
  • Indian Thick-kneeBurhinus indicus
  • Little StintCalidris minuta
  • Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinus
  • Greater Painted-snipeRostratula benghalensis
  • Oriental PratincoleGlareola maldivarum
  • RedshankTringa totanus
  • RuffCalidris pugnax
  • Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
  • Grey-headed LapwingVanellus cinereus
  • Bronze-winged JacanaMetopidius indicus
Gulls & seabirds6 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
  • Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
  • River TernSterna aurantiaVU
  • Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
  • Brown-headed GullChroicocephalus brunnicephalus
  • Common TernSterna hirundo
Ducks & geese14 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Anas poecilorhynchaAnas poecilorhyncha
  • GarganeySpatula querquedula
  • Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
  • Bar-headed GooseAnser indicus
  • Lesser Whistling DuckDendrocygna javanica
  • Northern PintailAnas acuta
  • Cotton Pygmy GooseNettapus coromandelianus
  • Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
  • Eurasian TealAnas crecca
  • Knob-billed DuckSarkidiornis melanotos
  • Fulvous Whistling-duckDendrocygna bicolor
  • Greylag GooseAnser anser
  • Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
  • Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
Herons, ibises & grebes18 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Indian Pond-HeronArdeola grayii
  • Little CormorantMicrocarbo niger
  • Little EgretEgretta garzetta
  • Grey HeronArdea cinerea
  • Black-necked IbisThreskiornis melanocephalus
  • Oriental DarterAnhinga melanogaster
  • Egretta intermediaEgretta intermedia
  • Indian CormorantPhalacrocorax fuscicollis
  • Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
  • Purple heronArdea purpurea
  • Great White EgretArdea alba
  • Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
  • Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
  • Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
  • Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
  • Grey PelicanPelecanus philippensisNT
  • Striated HeronButorides striata
  • Red-naped IbisPseudibis papillosa
Storks & cranes3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Asian Open-bill StorkAnastomus oscitans
  • Painted StorkMycteria leucocephala
  • Asian WoollyneckCiconia episcopusNT
Flamingos1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseus
Songbirds73 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Black DrongoDicrurus macrocercus
  • Common MynaAcridotheres tristis
  • Red-vented BulbulPycnonotus cafer
  • Yellow-billed BabblerTurdoides affinis
  • Large-billed CrowCorvus macrorhynchos
  • Purple SunbirdCinnyris asiaticus
  • Purple-rumped SunbirdLeptocoma zeylonica
  • Ashy PriniaPrinia socialis
  • Common TailorbirdOrthotomus sutorius
  • Barn swallowHirundo rustica
  • Plain PriniaPrinia inornata
  • House CrowCorvus splendens
  • Brahminy StarlingSturnia pagodarum
  • Rufous TreepieDendrocitta vagabunda
  • Indian RobinSaxicoloides fulicatus
  • White-browed WagtailMotacilla maderaspatensis
  • Blyth’s Reed WarblerAcrocephalus dumetorum
  • Paddyfield PipitAnthus rufulus
  • Oriolus kundooOriolus kundoo
  • Streaked WeaverPloceus manyar
  • White-browed BulbulPycnonotus luteolus
  • Black-headed MuniaLonchura malacca
  • Pied Bush ChatSaxicola caprata
  • Oriental Magpie-robinCopsychus saularis
  • Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
  • Baya WeaverPloceus philippinus
  • Zitting CisticolaCisticola juncidis
  • Brown ShrikeLanius cristatus
  • Indian Paradise FlycatcherTerpsiphone paradisi
  • Yellow-throated SparrowGymnoris xanthocollis
  • Clamorous Reed WarblerAcrocephalus stentoreus
  • Common IoraAegithina tiphia
  • Bay-backed ShrikeLanius vittatus
  • Eastern Red-rumped SwallowCecropis daurica
  • Indian SilverbillEuodice malabarica
  • Spice FinchLonchura punctulata
  • Loten's SunbirdCinnyris lotenius
  • Common WoodshrikeTephrodornis pondicerianus
  • Ashy-crowned Sparrow-LarkEremopterix griseus
  • Booted WarblerIduna caligata
  • Large Grey BabblerTurdoides malcolmi
  • Oriental SkylarkAlauda gulgula
  • Rosy StarlingPastor roseus
  • Pale-billed FlowerpeckerDicaeum erythrorhynchos
  • Large-billed Leaf-warblerPhylloscopus magnirostris
  • Greenish WarblerPhylloscopus trochiloides
  • White-rumped MuniaLonchura striata
  • Citrine WagtailMotacilla citreola
  • House SparrowPasser domesticus
  • Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
  • Red AvadavatAmandava amandava
  • Paddyfield WarblerAcrocephalus agricola
  • Sykes's WarblerIduna rama
  • Small MinivetPericrocotus cinnamomeus
  • Rufous-tailed LarkAmmomanes phoenicuraNT
  • Chestnut-tailed StarlingSturnia malabarica
  • Lesser whitethroatSylvia curruca
  • Ashy Wood SwallowArtamus fuscus
  • Streak-throated SwallowPetrochelidon fluvicola
  • Lanius schachLanius schach
  • Black-hooded OrioleOriolus xanthornus
  • Forest WagtailDendronanthus indicus
  • Thick-billed WarblerIduna aedon
  • Muscicapa latirostrisMuscicapa latirostris
  • Wire-tailed SwallowHirundo smithii
  • Dicrurus leucophaeusDicrurus leucophaeus
  • Large CuckooshrikeCoracina macei
  • Black-headed Cuckoo-shrikeCoracina melanoptera
  • Indian PittaPitta brachyura
  • Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
  • Blyth’s PipitAnthus godlewskii
  • Jungle PriniaPrinia sylvatica
  • Tawny-bellied babblerDumetia hyperythra
Other birds36 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Asian Palm-swiftCypsiurus balasiensis
  • White-breasted KingfisherHalcyon smyrnensis
  • Eastern Spotted DoveSpilopelia chinensis
  • Greater CoucalCentropus sinensis
  • CootFulica atra
  • Ortygornis pondicerianusOrtygornis pondicerianus
  • Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri
  • Indian RollerCoracias benghalensisNT
  • Indian PeafowlPavo cristatus
  • Blue-tailed Bee-eaterMerops philippinus
  • White-breasted WaterhenAmaurornis phoenicurus
  • Pied KingfisherCeryle rudis
  • Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
  • Common KoelEudynamys scolopaceus
  • Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
  • Laughing DoveSpilopelia senegalensis
  • Cuculus variusCuculus varius
  • Asian Green Bee-eaterMerops orientalis
  • Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
  • Jacobin CuckooClamator jacobinus
  • Western SwamphenPorphyrio porphyrio
  • Rhopodytes viridirostrisRhopodytes viridirostris
  • Rock DoveColumba livia
  • Coppersmith BarbetPsilopogon haemacephalus
  • Red Collared DoveStreptopelia tranquebarica
  • Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
  • Black-rumped FlamebackDinopium benghalense
  • WatercockGallicrex cinerea
  • Indian NightjarCaprimulgus asiaticus
  • Little SwiftApus affinis
  • Grey-bellied CuckooCacomantis passerinus
  • Baillon's CrakePorzana pusilla
  • Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melba
  • Pterocles exustusPterocles exustus
  • Slaty-breasted RailGallirallus striatus
  • Ruddy-breasted CrakePorzana fusca

Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.

When to go

The most species from January to February.

Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.

  1. Jan17030°/18°9 mm
  2. Feb17933°/19°8 mm
  3. Mar15637°/22°16 mm
  4. Apr7838°/25°34 mm
  5. May9536°/25°76 mm
  6. Jun8335°/24°40 mm
  7. Jul034°/24°59 mm
  8. Aug7734°/23°84 mm
  9. Sep7033°/23°104 mm
  10. Oct10131°/23°163 mm
  11. Nov13329°/21°170 mm
  12. Dec13228°/19°67 mm
  • Bar: species recorded that month.
  • Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
  • Rain: monthly total.

The place

Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary.

Bird sanctuary in the Ariyalur District of Tamil Nadu, India

Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary is a bird sanctuary in India.

193 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 16,221 open records.

The most recorded are the Red-wattled Lapwing, the Indian Pond-Heron and the Black Drongo.

5 species come for the summer, 70 for the winter and 1 only pass through.

2 are threatened worldwide, including River Tern and Common Pochard.

The most species are recorded from January to February.

Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary seen from above (Sentinel-2)
Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 by EOX IT Services GmbH (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data), CC BY 4.0, with relief shading from Copernicus WorldDEM-30

Get there and watch

Plan the visit

A guided walk, a bed nearby, a car.

Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.

From above

The place and its surroundings.

The satellite image of the 6 × 6 km around the place, with the bird hides, towers and trails that OpenStreetMap shows.

Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary seen from above (Sentinel-2)
Seen from above: Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 (EOX, CC BY 4.0), 6 × 6 km, north up. Points © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Around, in OpenStreetMap

    • bird hides within 6 km
    • observation towers within 6 km
    • marked trails within 4 km
    • visitor centres within 6 km
    • viewpoints within 5 km
    • car parks within 3 km
    • restaurants and cafés within 3 km
    • campsites within 10 km
    • places to stay within 10 km

    Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.

    In our other atlases

    Around Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary.

    The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.

    Lakeyas1 lakes within 15 km
    Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary1.8 km² · 0.4 km

    Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.

    Other places nearby.

    Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary

    India

    • 64Birdyas Score
    • 193Species
    • 76Migrants
    • 2Threatened

    Vaduvoor Bird Sanctuary

    India · 43 km

    • 56Birdyas Score
    • 147Species
    • 49Migrants
    • 2Threatened

    See the guide

    Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary

    India · 116 km

    • 77Birdyas Score
    • 234Species
    • 122Migrants
    • 5Threatened

    See the guide

    Udayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary

    India · 81 km

    • 53Birdyas Score
    • 151Species
    • 45Migrants
    • 1Threatened

    See the guide

    Where these figures come from

    Name and typeWikidata (Q13111039) · CC0
    Birds16,221 open bird records within 4 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
    See these recordsgbif.org
    SpeciesGBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons
    AltitudeCopernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA
    Temperature and rainNASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2)
    What is around© OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL
    ImagesEOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons
    Sister atlasesLakeyas

    Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.

    The family

    Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?

    Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.