Arrival of birds at Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary in Nagapattinam district has begun, according to Forest Department officials.
In the coming months, the sanctuary will witness large congregations of water birds, especially Greater Flamingos.
Arrival of the birds, including threatened species such as Spot-billed Pelican, Black-headed Ibis, and Spoonbill Sandpiper have been recorded every year in the sanctuary that was created in 1967 for conservation of the threatened blackbuck antelope.
They winged visitors are believed by ornithologists to migrate from Rann of Kutch, Eastern Siberia, Northern Russia, Central Asia and parts of Europe for their feeding season and start returning to those breeding places in January.
The most common of the resident species are White-browed Bulbul, Crow Pheasant, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Grey Partridge, and Blue-tailed Bee-eater.
The Forest department is anticipating adequate rainfall from the north-east monsoon for formation of the right ecosystem for the winged visitors.
Though the sanctuary is at present dry as rainfall from the south-west monsoon was meagre, the available water is adequate to meet the requirements of the key species of the sanctuary, blackbuck antelope and spotted deer.
There must be 700-800 blackbuck antelopes and about 300 spotted deer in the sanctuary, Naga Sathish Gidijala, Wildlife Warden, said. During summer months, the department had to operate up to 60 waterholes spread over four to five thousand hectares, Mr. Gidijala said.
Rainfall from the north-east monsoons will help in formation of swamps, providing the ideal environment for the winged visitors to feed, he said.