Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary

Behind the Kerala High Court, with traffic on three sides, sits a 2.74-hectare patch of protected mangrove wetland the city calls its green lung, the only bird sanctuary in the state set in mangroves. More than seventy bird species have been recorded around the tidal lagoon, egrets and herons among them, with brahminy kites overhead; there is a viewing area, and the place is kept deliberately low-key rather than developed. Access can be closed to protect nesting, so check locally before making the trip. The best time for birdwatching is from mid-January to early March.

More than seventy bird species recorded round a tidal lagoon the city keeps deliberately quiet