Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary

It adjoins the tiny village of Koonthankulam in Nanguneri Taluk of Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, India.

8°34′52″N 77°45′40″E / 8.58102°N 77.76123°E / 8.58102; 77.76123 It is composed of Koonthankulam and Kadankulam irrigation tanks, conveniently linked by tar road.

It is an Important Bird Area, code: IN269, criteria: A1, A4i,[2] and has been designated as a protected Ramsar site since 2021.

The Indian festival Diwali is not celebrated here because the sound of crackers would drive away the winged visitors.

An interpretation centre, watch tower, children's park and dormitory are open for public use throughout the year.

Bird sanctuary
Bar-headed goose
A flock of bar-headed geese ( Anser indicus ) at the lake in the sanctuary
A pair of black-winged stilts ( Himantopus himantopus ) in the foreground with bar-headed geese in the background, at the sanctuary.