Karikili is the quieter twin of Vedanthangal. It is a 58.44-hectare bird sanctuary about 8 km north of its famous neighbour in Chengalpattu district, and spot-billed pelicans breed there. It has been a Ramsar wetland of international importance since 8 April 2022, according to the Tamil Nadu State Wetlands Authority. Its official surveys list 144 bird species.
The sanctuary fills with the monsoon, and the migrant season is now beginning. That makes the next few months the best time to go. This guide covers what is there, what the official counts say, and how to visit without disturbing the birds.
What Karikili is
The sanctuary is built around two rain-fed irrigation tanks set among farmland and low rocky hills near Maduranthakam, the Ramsar site summary says. The Forest Department planted the trees standing in the water, mainly Barringtonia acutangula and Acacia nilotica, and herons, egrets, cormorants and pelicans now nest in them. Local farmers have long protected the birds because the droppings enrich the water that irrigates their fields. That is the same bargain that has kept Vedanthangal going for nearly a century.
The official records do not agree on when Karikili became a sanctuary. The Forest Department’s sanctuary list says 1988. The Ramsar information sheet’s summary says 1972, while its legal section cites a government order dated 23 May 1989. The state’s statistical handbook also gives 1989, with an area of 61.21 hectares. The 58.44-hectare figure is the area designated under Ramsar.
Karikili in numbers
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ramsar site number | 2480 | Ramsar Sites Information Service |
| Ramsar designation | 8 April 2022 | TNSWA |
| Wetland area | 58.43 to 58.44 ha | TNSWA |
| Zone of influence | 618.68 ha | TNSWA brief |
| Average / maximum depth | 1.5 m / 3 m | TNSWA brief |
| Bird species | 144 | TNSWA brief |
| Butterfly species | 22 | TNSWA brief |
| Plant species | 63 | TNSWA brief |
| Spot-billed pelicans (average, 2020-22) | 415 | Ramsar information sheet |
The state wetland authority’s brief counts 184 animal species in all: 144 birds, 22 butterflies, 8 amphibians, 7 reptiles and 3 mammals. Almost four-fifths of the land in the zone of influence is farmland.
The birds to look for
The Ramsar information sheet is the most detailed public record of Karikili’s birds. Three species breed at the site:
- Spot-billed pelican: an average of 415 birds in 2020-22, about 6.4 per cent of the Eastern Ghats population. That share is what qualifies Karikili under the Ramsar population criterion.
- Oriental darter: the “snake bird”, listed as near threatened, swims with only its thin neck showing.
- Black bittern: a shy, dark heron of reed edges.
The same sheet gives 2020-22 counts of about 3,188 cattle egrets, 1,298 northern pintails, 734 black-crowned night herons and 106 northern shovelers. The pintails and shovelers are winter ducks, so they are a sign the tank is holding water through the season. The Forest Department also lists storks and ibises among the winter visitors.
Visiting sensibly
- Go in the morning. Birds are most active in the first hours after sunrise, and the light falls well on the nesting trees.
- Pair it with Vedanthangal. The two are close enough to cover in one trip from Chennai along the GST Road towards Maduranthakam.
- Check before you go. Timings and entry fees are set by the Chennai Wildlife Division, and the official pages fetched for this article did not list them. Confirm locally.
- Stay quiet and on the bund. Nesting birds abandon nests if disturbed. No drones, no playback calls, and no feeding.
- Carry what you need. Water, a hat and binoculars. Leave nothing behind.
Why farmers and birds need each other here
Karikili works because it is still a working irrigation system. The water the birds nest over is the same water that later flows to the paddy around it, and in the wetland authority’s brief almost four-fifths of the zone of influence is farmland, with plantations and villages making up most of the rest. The droppings under the nesting trees make the water richer in nutrients, which is why villagers here have tolerated, and protected, large noisy colonies for generations. If the tanks were neglected or the fields sold for plots, both the farming and the birds would go together. That link is spelt out in the Ramsar site summary, and it is the main reason a management plan for the site involves the local community and not only the Forest Department.
The pressures on it
The Ramsar sheet rates housing, commercial development, farming and fishing as medium threats. Two invasive plants, Ipomoea carnea and Prosopis juliflora, are listed as causing major harm. It also notes land disputes within 5 km over paddy, patta and poramboke land, which make wildlife and forest laws harder to enforce. The sanctuary is managed by the Wildlife Warden of the Chennai Wildlife Division in Guindy.
Quick answers
Where is Karikili Bird Sanctuary?
In Maduranthakam taluk, Chengalpattu district, near Karikili village, about 8 km north of Vedanthangal.
Is Karikili a Ramsar site?
Yes, since 8 April 2022. It is site number 2480.
Which birds nest at Karikili?
Spot-billed pelicans, Oriental darters and black bitterns breed there, along with herons and egrets.
What are the timings and entry fee?
Not published on the official pages checked for this article. Ask the Chennai Wildlife Division or the staff at the gate.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Ramsar Site 2480 (Ramsar Sites Information Service)
- Ramsar Information Sheet: Karikili Bird Sanctuary (Ramsar Convention, RIS document)
- Karikili Bird Sanctuary brief document (Tamil Nadu State Wetlands Authority)
- Bird Sanctuaries (Tamil Nadu Forest Department)
- Ramsar sites of Tamil Nadu (Tamil Nadu State Wetlands Authority)
- Statistical Handbook: Forests chapter (Department of Economics and Statistics, Tamil Nadu)
