Vellode Birds Sanctuary
Vellode
Birds Sanctuary is an 80 ha (200-acre)
sanctuary located in the Erode District in the state
of Tamil Nadu, India. It has an area of
77.185 hectares. It comprises of 75.935 ha of Periyakulam Yeri and 1.250 ha of
odai poramboke in SF No.503 in Vadamugam Vellode village.
The
sanctuary is about 13 km from Erode Central Bus Terminus on the way to Chennimalai,
near Vellode, and 10 km from Erode Junction Railway
Station, in the south.
Vellode
Bird Sanctuary is truly a bird lover’s dream come true. In a census conducted
by the Forest Department, a staggering 33,000 birds of assorted varieties were
spotted! The sanctuary is home to not just local birds; many migratory birds
wing their way here. This apart, it teems with many fish and aquatic creatures.
So nature lovers can have a great time here.
VELLODE BIRD SANCTUARY
|
|
Location
|
12 Km
away from Erode toward Chennimalai main road
|
Area
|
77.185
ha.
|
Forest
Type
|
Acacia
nilotica plantation
|
Animal
Found
|
Visited
by large number of Resident & Migratory bird species
|
Nearest
airport
|
Coimbatore
92 Km
|
Nearest
Railway station
|
12 Km
away from Erode
|
Best
season
|
November
to April
|
Entry
fees
|
No entry fees
are collected from the visitors.
|
Accommodation
|
Hotels
available at Erode.
|
Other
facilities
|
1. Tourist can approach the staff and
make use of facilities like Binoculars.
2. An Interpretation centre is
available
3. A tourist canteen building is
available.
4. A watch tower is available for
viewing birds clearly.
|
For
greater details
|
District
Forest Officer,
Roja Nagar,
Erode-4
Ph:0424-2291722
|
Flora & Fauna
Vellode
Bird Sanctuary is quite distinctive because it is concentrated in a huge lake
and there are no forests surrounding it. Acacia plants abound and you can
also see Palmyra and eucalyptus trees. The area is surrounded by lush paddy
fields. In spite of no forest cover, some 102-odd species of birds, both rare
and common, have been spotted here. These include night heron, white breasted
kingfisher, pin-tailed duck, darter, common sandpiper, cormorant, Indian
roller, painted stork, common coot and common teal. There are observatory
towers around the lake from where you can enjoy watching these lovely feathered
creatures.
When the
grey clouds of the Northeast Monsoon start cascading in the sky, the migratory
birds make a beeline for the sanctuary. During the monsoons
(September-December), Vellode Bird Sanctuary is an ideal habitat for the winged
visitors. The tank has plentiful water and brims with fish and aquatic
organisms which provide food for the birds. The neighboring fields and the
trees here provide shelter for perching and nesting.
Flora
The Vellode
Birds Sanctuary is a storage tank and as such there are no forests in this
tank. The main vegetation of the sanctuary consists of Acacia nilotica plantation.
The other tree species present in the sanctuary includes Azadirachta indica,
Palmyra and eucalyptus plantation all along the bund and profuse growth of
Prosopis juliflora
Fauna
The Vellode
Birds Sanctuary is visited by large number of resident and migratory bird
species. The migratory birds start arriving to the Sanctuary at the onset of
the Northeast monsoon. The Sanctuary becomes an ideal habitat for the birds,
because of the availability of abundant feed in the tank and in the
neighbouring agricultural fields and plenty of trees for perching and nesting.
There are abundant fishes and other aquatic organism present in the tank, which
form part of food for many resident birds.
Bird species
It is at a
large lake surrounded with semi-dark bushes, near Vellode. This
.772 km2 (0.298 sq mi) sanctuary near Erode is home to many foreign birds.
The sanctuary features thousands of birds coming from various countries, some
of which can be easily identified. Some easily found bird species include
cormorants, teals, pintail ducks, pelicans, and darters.
Season
Villagers
near this sanctuary are very much concerned about the sanctuary and the birds
coming to this sanctuary, so they have taken many serious steps to avoid
disturbance to the flow of birds. The best time to visit this sanctuary starts
in November and continues until March. During this time birds are mostly busy
in building and maintaining their nests. Many observatory towers have been
built to watch these birds, around this lake.
Connectivity
This
sanctuary is situated 12 km away from Erode toward Chennimalai main road and is
easily accessible by road Erode is 12 km and Chennimalai is 14 km. ON
Erode-Chennimalai road from Mettupalayam, a diversion road towards North to a
distance of 1 km takes you to this sanctuary.
Tourist Information
For the
benefit of the visitors, a watch tower is constructed. A tourist canteen
building was also constructed to cater the needs of the visitors. An
interpretation center was also constructed for creating awareness among the
visitors especially to the student visiting the sanctuary.
The
vehicles of the visitors are restricted at the entry point itself so as to
observe silence in sanctuary which is required for the perching birds.
The tourist
can approach the staff and make use of the facilities like Binoculars.
No entry
fee is collected from the visitors
Best time to visit - November to April
Best time to visit - November to April