Chennai, Feb 11 (IANS): Bird watchers are worried over the fall in arrival of migratory birds in Kunthankulam bird sanctuary in Nanguneri taluk of Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli district.

Avid bird watcher and photographer from Coimbatore R. Saravanan, who visited the sanctuary said that the number of migratory birds that arrive in the sanctuary has fallen in large numbers.

He said that every year around 40-50,000 migratory birds arrive at Kunthankulam but this season, not more than 10,000 birds could be seen.

Talking to IANS, another bird watcher and local resident P.R. Subramanian said: "The early drying up of water bodies in and around Kunthankulam bird sanctuary seems to be the reason behind the fall in number of birds that arrived here."

He said that birds like pelicans, painted storks, ibises, and egrets build their nests in the sanctuary for breeding and the early drying up of water bodies in the vicinity was not a good sign.

However, Tamil Nadu Water Resources department officials told IANS that water from river Manimuthar was released on Tuesday and will fill up the water bodies near the sanctuary and that this would lead to migratory birds flocking in large numbers in the days to come.

The Water Resources department attributed to the drying up of water to a shortage of rainfall during the season.