Nelapattu and Pulicat Bird Sanctuary, 08.01.2012

Looking for migratory birds on the Andhra Pradesh coast. . .

Place : Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary and Pulicat Lake

Access : NH5 from Chennai, straight to Sullurupetta via Tada

Nelapattu is more like a nesting place with a huge pelicanry. Driving along Pulicat lake towards Sriharikota provided much better views of the migratory waterbirds. No flamingos spotted :(

A complete list of birds spotted:

Asian Open-Billed Stork

1. Little Egret - plenty
2. Cattle Egret - Plenty near the village / farms
3. Great Egret - plenty
4. Intermediate Egret - 10
5. Grey Heron - >25
6. Painted Stork - about 50
7. Indian Pond Heron - about 50
8. Asian Open-Billed Stork - >75
9. Grey Junglefowl - Near the Villages
10. Lesser Whistling Duck - 15 at Nelapattu
11. Ruddy Shelduck - 2 on Pulicat
12. Gadwall - many in Pulicat
13. Eurasian Wigeon - Few in between groups of Pintail Ducks
14. Spot-Billed Duck - 6 in Pulicat Lake
15. Northern Shoveller - 12 in Nelapattu
16. Northern Pintail - 2 groups of 500

Black-Headed Ibis (White Ibis)

17. Garganey - 2 in Nelapattu
18. Indian Roller - almost 40 in rural areas
19. Common Kingfisher - 2
20. Pied Kingfisher - Fishing in Nelapattu
21. White-Breasted Kingfisher - many everywhere
22. Green Bee-Eater - 20 in rural areas
23. Blue-Tailed Bee-Eaters - more common than Green
24. Chestnut-Headed Bee-Eater - just 1 near Sullurupet
25. Asian Koel - 4 in Nelapattu
26. Greater Coucal - 1
27. Rose-Ringed Parakeet - 2 in Pulicat
28. Asian Palm Swift - many
29. House Swift - many
30. Rock Pigeon - many
31. Laughing Dove - many

Brown-Headed Gull

32. Spotted Dove - 5 near farms
33. White-Breasted Waterhen - 4
34. Common Moorhen - many in Nelapattu
35. Purple Moorhen - many in Pulicat
36. Common Coot - plenty
37. Eurasian Curlew - 2 in Pulicat
38. Common Redshank - many
39. Marsh Sandpiper - many
40. Wood Sandpiper - many
41. Common Sandpiper - many
42. Pheasant-Tailed Jacana - just 1 near Pulicat
43. Black-Winged Stilt - 15
44. Little Ringed Plover - 4
45. Red-Wattled Lapwing - 12

Eurasian Wigeons and Northern Pintails

46. Black-Headed Gull - many
47. Brown-Headed Gull - many
48. River Tern - 35
49. Common Tern - 5
50. Black-Shouldered Kite - 4 in Pulicat
51. Oriental Honey Buzzard - many
52. Shikra - 2
53. Black Kite - many
54. Little Grebe - 7
55. Little Cormorant - many
56. Indian Cormorant - many
57. Black-Headed Ibis - many in Nelapattu
58. Eurasian Spoonbill - few in Pulicat
59. Spot-Billed Pelican - many
60. House Crow - many
61. Large-Billed Crow - many

Lesser Whistling Ducks

62. Black Drongo - many
63. Common Iora - 2 in Nelapattu
64. Oriental Magpie Robin - many
65. Common Myna - many
66. Brahminy Myna - 6 in  rural area
67. Barn Swallow - 8
68. Red-Rumped Swallow - many
69. Red-Whiskered Bulbul - 15 in Nelapattu
70. Ashy Prinia - 2
71. Oriental Skylark - 1 in Pulicat
72. Paddyfield Pipit - many
73. Richard's Pipit - many
74. Clamorous Reed-Warbler - 1 in Pulicat


Mostly missed the Greater Flamingos. Saw 2 out-of-season last time and none now! Otherwise a fairly decent birdwatching trip covering all the common waders and migratory waterbirds. No rare sightings - just as expected.

Black-Shouldered Kite

Grey Heron

Grey Pelicans

Grey Pelican feeding

Little Cormorant

Clamorous Reed-Warbler

Painted Stork

Pheasant-Tailed Jacana

Indian Pond Heron

Red-Wattled Lapwing

Shikra (juvenile)

But a great spot for birdwatchers and naturalists alike. Fishing is a problem in Pulicat Lake, something that must be thought over. Nellapattu is the nesting place for many Grey Pelicans and Open-Billed Storks. Easy to spot and watch!