Udayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary

Udayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary is a protected area of about 0.45 km² in Tiruvarur district, declared in 1999 and listed as a Ramsar site since 2022. It centres on an irrigation tank supplied with water from the Mettur Dam, which stays dry from April to August.

Bird numbers climb to around 10,000 between September and December, and November and December are reckoned the best months to visit. In February and March the tank is known for large numbers of purple moorhens and openbill storks. Other migrants include grey and purple herons, white ibis, the Indian reef heron, white-necked stork, night heron, coot, little cormorant, spoonbill and darter.