Udayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary is a .45 km² (0.2 sq mi) Protected area

Protected area

Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...

 in Tiruvarur District

Tiruvarur District

Tiruvarur district is one of the 30 districts in the Tamil Nadu state of India. The district occupies an area of 2161 km². It is lies between Nagapattinam district on the east and Thanjavur district on the west, and is bounded by the Palk Strait on the south...

, Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...

 state, India at 10°26′59"N 79°27′58"E. The Sanctuary is mostly an irrigation tank

Irrigation tank

For etymology, see Storage tank#Etymology.In India, an irrigation tank or tank is an artificial reservoir of any size. . It can also have a natural or man-made spring included as part of a structure...

 that is fed by water from Mettur dam

Mettur Dam

The Mettur Dam is a large dam in India built in 1934.It was constructed in a gorge, where the Kaveri River enters the plains. The dam is one of the oldest in India . It provides irrigation facilities to a part of Salem, the length of Erode, Namakkal, Karur, Tiruchirappali and Thanjavur district for...

 and by the northeast monsoon from August till December. It remains dry from April till August.

Fauna

A notable aspect of the sanctuary is the large number of Purple Moorhen

Purple Swamphen

The Purple Swamphen , also known as the African Purple Swamphen, Purple Moorhen, Purple Gallinule, Pūkeko or Purple Coot, is a large bird in the family Rallidae . From its name in French, talève sultane, it is also known as the Sultana Bird...

 and Openbill stork

Openbill stork

The openbill storks or openbills are two species of stork in the genus Anastomus. They are large wading birds characterized by large bills, the mandibles of which do not meet except at the tip. This feature develops only in the adults. The two species of openbill storks are:*Asian Openbill The...

s during February – March. It is home to other migratory water birds including Coot

Coot

Coots are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family Rallidae. They constitute the genus Fulica. Coots have predominantly black plumage, and, unlike many of the rails, they are usually easy to see, often swimming in open water...

, Grey Heron

Grey Heron

The Grey Heron , is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in the milder south and west, but many birds retreat in winter from the ice in colder regions...

, Black-headed Ibis

Black-headed Ibis

The Black-headed Ibis or Oriental White Ibis is a species of wading bird of the ibis family Threskiornithidae which breeds in South Asia and Southeast Asia from Pakistan to India, Sri Lanka east up to Japan...

, Night Heron

Night heron

The night herons are medium-sized herons in the genera Nycticorax, Nyctanassa and Gorsachius. The genus name Nycticorax derives from the Greek for “night raven” and refers to the largely nocturnal feeding habits of this group of birds, and the croaking crow-like call of the best known species, the...

, Purple Heron

Purple Heron

The Purple Heron is a wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, breeding in Africa, central and southern Europe, and southern and eastern Asia. The European populations are migratory, wintering in tropical Africa; the more northerly Asian populations also migrate further south within Asia...

, Little cormorant

Little Cormorant

The Little Cormorant is a member of the Cormorant family of seabirds: Aptly named, the Little Cormorant is small in comparison with other cormorants, only 55 cm in length with an average mass of 442.5 g...

, Darter

Darter

The darters or snakebirds are mainly tropical waterbirds in the family Anhingidae. There are four living species, three of which are very common and widespread while the fourth is rarer and classified as near-threatened by the IUCN. The term "snakebird" is usually used without any additions to...

, Spoonbill

Spoonbill

Spoonbills are a group of large, long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, which also includes the Ibises.All have large, flat, spatulate bills and feed by wading through shallow water, sweeping the partly opened bill from side to side...

, Indian Reef Heron and White-necked stork

Woolly-necked Stork

The Woolly-necked Stork or White necked stork , Ciconia episcopus, is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It can also be known as the Espiscopos....

. Beginning in September, bird population peaks during November- December with up to 10,000 birds.

Visitor information

The sanctuary is open to visitors throughout the year. Entry is free. There are two public observation towers inside the sanctuary. The best time to visit the sanctuary is during November.

The nearest town is Muthupet

Muthupet

Muthupet is a panchayat town in Thiruvarur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-Demographics: India census, Muthupet had a population of 19,000. Males constitute 47% of the population and females 53%...

, located 6 km from the Sanctuary.10.4°N 79.5°E The sanctuary can be reached by road from Thiruvarur (40 km) and from Thanjavur (68 km) by road. (The Kallaperambur sanctuary near Thanjavur is yet to be declared a sanctuary, though the Forest Department has sent its proposal.) The nearest railway station is Muthupet. The nearest Airport is Trichy (110 KM)

Accommodation is available in PWD Rest House and private lodges in Muthupet and Thiruturaipoondi(15km). Hotels with modern facilities are available in Thiruvarur (40 km.)

Contact: Wildlife Warden, Point Calimere WLS, Collectorate, Nagapattinam 611 002, District Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, India
Tel. (04365) 253092