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Migratory Birds Arrive Early at Therthangal Sanctuary
26 Oct
Summary
- Migratory birds spotted in Therthangal sanctuary earlier than usual
- Over 2,500 birds already observed, including Open-billed Storks, Black Terns
- Early monsoon rains cited as reason for birds' early arrival
As of October 26th, 2025, the Therthangal bird sanctuary in Ramanathapuram district has seen an early influx of migratory birds, with over 2,500 birds already spotted in the region. Typically, these migratory birds would only start arriving in November, but the early onset of the monsoon season has triggered their movement earlier than usual.
According to M. Divakar, the Forest Range Officer of Ramanathapuram Wildlife Range, the good amount of rainfall recorded in the region was the major reason for the early sighting of these migratory birds. The birds observed so far include Open-billed Storks, Black Terns, Glossy Ibis, Black-headed Ibis, Cormorants, and Pond Herons, among others. While most of them are Open-billed Storks, the birds have arrived from regions like Europe, Russia, and nearby areas.
Typically, the onset of winter in the European and Russian regions would trigger the movement of these migratory birds, but they would not arrive in the Ramanathapuram region before the monsoon season. However, this year, the early monsoon has led to the birds' early arrival. To assess the migratory patterns and behavior of these birds, the forest department plans to conduct a pre-monsoon and post-monsoon census in the coming days.
