Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary: Kochi's Mangrove Patch Behind the High Court

Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary is a 2.74-hectare patch of mangrove behind the Kerala High Court in Ernakulam, declared a sanctuary in 2004 and the smallest protected area under the Kerala Forest Department. It is about 3 km from the city centre and roughly 4 km from Ernakulam South (Junction) railway station, the best months for birds are mid-January to early March, and the official tourism listing gives the hours as 10am to 5pm. Budget an hour. It is small, and it is worth it only if you come for the right reasons.

• Where is Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary?
• What birds can you see at Mangalavanam?
• What is the best time to visit Mangalavanam?
• Why is Mangalavanam under pressure?

Where is Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary?

Right in the middle of the city, which is the whole point of it. The sanctuary sits behind the Kerala High Court building and next to the old Ernakulam Terminus railway land, with its entrance on Dr. Salim Ali Road, which carries the name of the ornithologist Salim Ali. Kerala Tourism calls it the green lung of Kochi, and when you step off a hot, honking Ernakulam road into the shade of the mangroves, the phrase stops feeling like brochure copy.

At its centre is a shallow tidal lake, connected to the Kochi backwaters by a canal, so the water level moves with the tide. Around it grow four mangrove and mangrove-associate species, including Rhizophora mucronata and Avicennia officinalis. The district administration describes it as the only bird sanctuary in Kerala set in mangrove forest.

At a glance
Area	2.74 hectares
Declared a sanctuary	2004
Managed by	Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department
Location	Behind the Kerala High Court, Dr. Salim Ali Road, Ernakulam
Hours	10am to 5pm per Incredible India; other listings differ, so check before you go
Best season	Mid-January to early March
Time needed	About an hour

What birds can you see at Mangalavanam?

The district administration's figure is 72 bird species recorded over time. A survey in May 2006 counted 194 birds belonging to 32 species. Species listed for the sanctuary include:

• Herons and egrets
• Kingfishers along the water's edge
• Darters and terns
• Brahminy kites overhead
• Common redshanks and white-breasted waterhens
• Migratory ducks such as pintails and garganey in season

Birds are not the only residents. Records include 17 species of butterfly, 51 of spider and six mammals, among them the Indian flying fox. The district administration lists spiders and bats among the main attractions, so look up into the canopy as well as across the water.

What is the best time to visit Mangalavanam?

Mid-January to early March, when the weather is at its most comfortable and the migratory birds are around. Within any day, early is better than late; midday is hot, the light is flat and the birds are quieter.

Set your expectations correctly. This is not Thattekad or Kumarakom. It is a pocket of mangrove the size of a few football pitches, and on a bad day you may see only a handful of egrets. Bring repellent, a pair of binoculars if you own them, and patience. If you want a big birding day out, go further afield; if you want forty minutes of green and quiet in the middle of Ernakulam, little else in the city does it.

Why is Mangalavanam under pressure?

Because the city has grown up around it. High-rise buildings close to the sanctuary have been reported to get in the way of the birds' orientation, take-off and landing, and of nesting birds carrying material and food back to their chicks. A sanctuary this small has no buffer; whatever is built on its edge is built on the sanctuary's doorstep.

That makes it worth visiting and worth caring about. Central Kochi has few green spaces left, and this one pairs well with a walk along Marine Drive, a short distance away. For more ideas, browse things to do in Kochi.