Birdwatching at Kumarakom: what you will see, and when

Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary sits on the old Baker estate on the eastern shore of the lake, three kilometres from our jetty. It is small — fourteen acres of mangrove and rubber — and dense.

Residents, all year

Little cormorant, Indian darter, purple heron, pond heron, white-breasted waterhen, brahminy kite, common and white-throated kingfishers, and Indian cuckoos calling from April onwards.

Winter visitors, October to mid-March

Garganey and pintail on the open water, wood sandpiper and marsh sandpiper on the margins, and the storks that draw most of the visitors. Numbers peak in late December.

Practical notes

• The gate opens at 6:00 AM. Between 6 and 8 you will see three times what you see at ten.
• Entry is a nominal fee payable at the gate; a guide can be hired there and is worth it.
• The walkway is raised but slippery after rain — proper shoes.
• Bring repellent. The mangrove is exactly what it looks like.
• The watchtower at the far end gives the only clear view over the canopy to the lake.

We can drop you at the sanctuary landing on the morning leg if you tell the captain the evening before.