Mayday for Winged Migrants

Chennai: Korattur Lake, nestled between dense neighbourhoods in north-west Chennai, has quietly transformed into a birding hotspot. Once overlooked, the lake now attracts more than 30 species of birds — from graceful open-billed storks and glossy ibises to waders and long-distance migrants.
Bird watchers like S Ravisankar of Ambattur say the lake saw a steady rise in sightings over the past decade. Terns, sandpipers, northern pintails, Eurasian wigeons, and Temminck's stints, which journey thousands of kilometres across continents, now routinely stop over at Korattur. "This lake was once visited by greater flamingos and spot-billed pelicans. But flamingos haven't returned in the past five years," he says.
While the bird numbers impress, their habitat faces mounting threats. According to S Sekharan, founder of the Korattur Aeri Padhukappu Makkal Iyakkam (KAPMI), untreated sewage continues to flow into the lake. "We've been asking authorities to plug the inlets for years," he says, warning that the pollution may erode what makes the lake liveable for birds.
Even so, the reed beds remain busy with nesting activity. Resident species like the pheasant-tailed jacana, bronze-winged jacana, Eurasian moorhen, and grey-headed swamphen rely on these patches for breeding. Their continued presence, birders say, signals that the lake's core ecosystem still holds promise.
Korattur Lake falls under the Water Resources Department, but birders and conservationists want it declared a bird sanctuary. The tag, they believe, could boost protection efforts, support eco-tourism, and highlight the importance of urban wetlands in biodiversity conservation.