Chennai: Tamil Nadu's wetland bird population rose to 6 lakh in 2026 from 5.5 lakh in 2025. However, the overall species count dipped from 397 to 393 this year.
Expanded Survey Window
State forest secretary Supriya Sahu attributed the higher totals to an expanded survey window this year. “In previous surveys, population estimation began during return migration,” she said. “This year the census started from the time of arrival and continued through return migration, enabling teams to record early arrivals that had previously been missed.”
Waterbird and Land Bird Counts
The census identified 116 species of waterbirds that live or swim in rivers, lakes and ponds, including waterfowl, flamingos, grebes, rails, crakes, waders, gulls, terns, storks, darters, cormorants, ibises, herons and pelicans. Direct count of waterbirds rose from 4.2 to 4.6 lakh, while migratory bird numbers rose to 1.6 lakh from 1.1 lakh.
Separately, teams recorded 277 land bird species, covering doves and pigeons, sandgrouse, cuckoos, nightjars, swifts, raptors, owls, trogons, hoopoes, hornbills, kingfishers, bee-eaters, rollers, barbets, woodpeckers, kestrels, hobbies, falcons, parrots, parakeets and various passerines.
Conservation Efforts
Officials said ongoing conservation measures and expanded wetland assessments underpinned the improved counts and will continue to inform management ahead of the next migration season. Sahu said a “new era of conservation” had begun in the state, “backed by science” with support from organisations such as Tamil Nadu Advanced Institute for Conservation of Wildlife and Wildlife Institute of India.
Wildlife officials said the upward trend reflects targeted efforts to protect critical habitats and monitor populations more comprehensively, but they cautioned that continued vigilance will be necessary as urbanisation, pollution and habitat disturbance remain persistent threats to wetland ecosystems. Surveys and conservation actions will be scaled up ahead of the next arrival period to track long-term trends and inform policy decisions.
