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Vedanthangal bird sanctuary is located in
Kanchipuram district, 85km
from Chennai. It is
the oldest bird sanctuary in the country and has been in existence
presumably for more than 200 years. Vedanthangal is a bird watchers
paradise, especially during the winter season, when birds in a myriad of
colours and kinds descend on the lake in hordes. A beautiful sight to
behold indeed!
Every year over 1,00,000 birds make their home in a lake housed in this
30-acre marshy park. The best time to watch these migratory birds is
between November and February. Bird watching is best early morning or in
the evening. A watching tower is also available. 
Bird Varieties
Grey Herons, Little Cormorants, White Pelicans, Hornbills, Storks,
Egrets, Darters are the popular winter visitors to this secluded retreat.
Some of them travel thousands of miles all the way from Siberia, to avoid
the biting cold. Every year, these migratory birds come from afar to nest
here during the season i.e. between November and February. But their
numbers are slowly dwindling because of the increasing pollution in the
area and the dropping water level of the lake. Proper maintenance of the
sanctuary is also lacking.
Some of the resident birds listed are Coots, Moorhen and Terns. In all
115 species of birds have been recorded in this sanctuary.
Air: The nearest airport is at
Chennai (85-km)
Rail: Chengalpattu (30-kms) is the nearest railway station.
Road: Tourists visiting Vedanthangal by bus can catch the direct
metro bus to Chengalpattu either from Parry's Corner or Tambaram,
Chennai. It takes
anywhere between 40 minutes to one and a half-hours to reach Chengalpattu.
From there, private buses ply to Vedanthangal at an interval of every 40
minutes reaching the destination in roughly about half an hour. In
addition, they wait at the sanctuary for about 30 minutes, sufficient time
to complete bird watching, as the sanctuary is not very large.
Accommodation is available at the Forest Rest House in Vedanthangal.
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