Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary
History
Developed in a rubber plantation as a bird sanctuary by Englishman George Alfred Baker, the sanctuary was formerly known as Baker's Estate. The Kerala Tourism Development Corporation currently manages the sanctuary.
Geography
The sanctuary is spread over 14 acres (5.7 ha) on the southern bank of the Meenachil River River.
Kumarakom is 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) from Kottayam. State Highway No. 1 leads to Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram in opposite directions. Kochi International Airport at Nedumbassery is 106 km (66 mi) from Kumarakom.
Neighbouring areas such as Kaipuzha Muttu, Pathirmanal, Narakathara, Thollairam Kayal, and Poothanpandi Kayal are also good locations for spotting birds.
Fauna
The main attractions are local birds like waterfowl, koel, owl, egret, heron, cormorant, moorhen, darter, and brahminy kite, as well as the migratory gull, teal, tern, flycatcher, and other birds are seen here during their respective migratory seasons. Some of the migratory birds come from the Himalayas, and a few from Siberia.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/07/Kerala_Kumarakom_Bird_Sanctuary2.jpg/200px-Kerala_Kumarakom_Bird_Sanctuary2.jpg)
In 2008, WWF-India organised a two-day bird watching programme at the sanctuary in connection with World Wetlands Day.