About Pichavaram Mangrove Forest:
- It is located near Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu.
- These mangroves are the second-largest mangroves in the world after Sundarbans.
- The forest is spread over 1,100 hectares and joins the Bay of Bengal, where it's separated by a lengthy sand bank.
- It lies between two important estuaries: the Vellar estuary to the north and the Coleroon estuary to the south.
- This mangrove ecosystem is part of the Vellar-Coleroon complex, which shapes the Killai backwater and Pichavaram mangroves.
- The Pichavaram forest spans across various habitats, including channels, creeks, gullies, mud flats, and sand flats.
- Apparently, the forest has more than 50 islands of various sizes and 4,400 big and small canals.
- The trees grow in water that's 3 to 10 feet deep in different places.
- It provides a home to more than 200 species of birds. Some of the bird species commonly spotted here include Snipes, Egrets, Cormorants, Storks, Herons, Spoonbills, and Pelicans.
- Also, you can spot various marine life such as seaweed, fish, prawns, crabs, and oysters, as well as turtles and otters in this diverse ecosystem.
- It was designated a Ramsar Site in 2022.
