Kerala is bestowed with natural beauty with a combination of 

mountains, hills, rivers, lakes, backwaters and shoreline. It has 

contributed towards the growth of many wildlife sanctuaries. 

The enchanting green forest with its rich flora and fauna makes

Kerala one of the much sought after wildlife destinations 

in India.

• Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary

Located on the banks of Vembanad Lake in Kerala, 

Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary is home for local birds like the 

waterfowl, cuckoo, owl, egret, heron and the water duck, and

migratory birds like the siberian stork, Parrots, teal, larks, 

flycatchers, wood beetle, egret, darter, heron and teal. The 

sanctuary is spread across 14 acres. The village of 

Kumarakom is a cluster of little islands on the Vembanad 

Lake, and is part of the Kuttanad region. 

• Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary

Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary, located on the northern bank of 

River Periyar, is one of the popular National Parks in Kerala. 

Dr. Salim Ali, the famous ornithologist, designed this 

sanctuary. It is home for birds like Indian Roller, Cukoo, 

Common Snipe, Crow Pheasant, Jungle Nightjar, Kite, Grey

Drongo, Malabar Trogon etc. 

• Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary

Located 40 kms from Thodupuzha, just above the arch dam, 

Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary extends over the Thodupuzha and 

Udumpanchola taluks of Idukki district spreading over 

77sq. kms. With the picturesque lake on the three sides of 

the sanctuary, a majestic arch dam across two hills and 

roaming wild animals like elephants and gaur in herds in the

semi-evergreen and deciduous forests is a great tourist 

attraction. It is home for birds like Jungle Fowl, Myna, 

Laughing Thrush, Black Bulbul, Peafowl, Woodpecker, 

Kingfisher etc. Apart from birds, it is also home for many 

wild animals. 

• Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary

Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary, located 25kms away from Calicut 

(Kozhikode), is haven for migratory birds like Terns, Gulls,

Herons, Sand pipers, Whimbrels etc. Many of the migratory 

birds flock from the month of November and returns only by 

the end of April. 

A vacation trip to these sanctuaries are both enchanting and 

adventurous experience. 

Photo courtesy: challiyan (flickr)