The 16th Tamiraparani water bird census recorded 21,091 birds of 69 species across 68 irrigation tanks in Tirunelveli, Tenkasi and Thoothukudi districts of southern Tamil Nadu. Migratory species, including those using the Central Asian Flyway, made up about 36% of the count. Thoothukudi district registered the highest bird numbers and species diversity. The annual survey, conducted in the irrigation tanks of the Tamiraparani river basin, helps track wetland health and the status of resident and migratory water birds in the region.