Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary

Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary is situated at Kumarakom in Kottayam taluk of Kottayam district in the Indian state of Kerala, on the banks of Vembanad Lake. Set in the Kerala Backwaters, the bird sanctuary is visited by many migratory bird species.

History

Developed in a rubber plantation as a bird sanctuary by Englishman George Alfred Baker, the sanctuary was formerly known as Baker's Estate. The Kerala Tourism Development Corporation currently manages the sanctuary.

Geography

The sanctuary is spread over on the southern bank of the Meenachil River River.
Kumarakom is from Kottayam. State Highway No. 1 leads to Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram in opposite directions. Kochi International Airport at Nedumbassery is from Kumarakom.
Neighbouring areas such as Kaipuzha Muttu, Pathirmanal, Narakathara, Thollairam Kayal, and Poothanpandi Kayal are also good locations for spotting birds.

Fauna

The main attractions are local birds like waterfowl, koel, owl, egret, heron, cormorant, moorhen, darter, and brahminy kite, as well as the migratory gull, teal, tern, flycatcher, and other birds are seen here during their respective migratory seasons. Some of the migratory birds come from the Himalayas, and a few from Siberia.
In 2008, WWF-India organised a two-day bird watching programme at the sanctuary in connection with World Wetlands Day.