All 4 in 3 days here: ~30%
City
Chennai
🇮🇳 India
Asia, India 334 spp. recorded
Chennai, also known as Madras, is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. The city is coterminous with Chennai district, which together with the adjoining suburbs constitutes the Chennai Metropolitan Area, one of the largest metropolitan areas of India. Wikipedia
13.012° N 80.169° E
🦜 Nature
334 Species sighted
212,626 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Aug Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Wild Boar
Sus scrofa
LC
Asian House Shrew
Suncus murinus
LC
Greater Bandicoot-rat
Bandicota indica
LC
Greater Short-nosed Fruit Bat
Cynopterus sphinx
LC
Common Palm Civet
Paradoxurus hermaphroditus
LC
Northern Palm Squirrel
Funambulus pennantii
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Marbled balloon frog
Uperodon systoma
LC
Alpine Cricket Frog
Fejervarya limnocharis
LC
Indian Burrowing Frog
Sphaerotheca breviceps
LC
Indus Valley Bullfrog
Hoplobatrachus tigerinus
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
🌙 Most active after dark
Challenges you can complete here
All 5 in 3 days here: ~20%
Recent sightings in Chennai
LIVEiNaturalistWhere to look
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
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Sholinganallur/Perumbakkam Marshlands
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Pallikaranai Marsh · Marshland Park
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Puzhuthivakkam Lake,Chennai
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Adayaru Creek · South Canal Bank Rd. Junction
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Muttukadu Backwaters
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Pallikaranai Marsh · Karapakkam
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Pallikaranai Marsh-- Main - பள்ளிக்கரணை சதுப்பு நிலம்
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Pallikaranai Marsh · Land fill
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Pallikaranai Marsh · Southwest Watchtower
Sighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
58Jan
52Feb
53Mar
51Apr
47May
53Jun
61Jul
64Aug
60Sep
61Oct
57Nov
62Dec
🏙️ City
Essentials
Green cover
Medium
Protected land
—
Protected sea
—
Protected areas
—
Wildlife spots
12
spotsZoos & centres
3
placesClimate
Tropical savanna
World Heritage
No
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
0.0 World-class
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this city for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
4.8
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 496
🐒 Mammals 107
🦎 Reptiles 110
🐸 Amphibians 27
740 Total Species
679 Global average across 380 cities
49 Threatened 17 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
ExcellentHow likely to see animals?
4.7
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
65% 📊
Coverage (131 species at ≥5% of 740 in the inventory)
18% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (11 bird, 1 reptile)
20% 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
7 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
17 🏕️
Experience
Very goodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
3.8
Climate Pleasant High
Green cover Medium Medium
Protected land & sea — Low
Protected areas 0 Low
Wildlife spots 12 High
Zoos & centres 3 High
What visitors say
Before you go
What animals can you see in Chennai?
334 species
Chennai's urban area has 334 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are House Crow (about 90%), Rock Pigeon (about 80%), Rose-ringed Parakeet (about 70%), Asian Koel (about 70%) and White-throated Kingfisher (about 70%). Among mammals, the most-seen is Indian Palm Squirrel (about 40%); among reptiles, Oriental Garden Lizard (about 60%); among amphibians, Common Indian Toad (about 30%).
When is the best time to see wildlife in Chennai?
January, May, August and October–November
In those months the city's 12 most-seen species average about 70% on a given day, against about 60% in February–April, June–July, September and December. Those are among Chennai's wettest months, with about 150 mm of rain a month against 5 mm in February.
Can you see a Grey Pelican in Chennai?
Yes
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Grey Pelican sighting in Chennai on a given day, based on 3,275 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is December and January (about 50%).
Can you see an Indian Palm Squirrel in Chennai?
Yes
About 40% of wildlife watchers report an Indian Palm Squirrel sighting in Chennai on a given day, based on 155 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is January and April (about 50%).
Can you see a Bonnet Macaque in Chennai?
Yes
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Bonnet Macaque sighting in Chennai on a given day, based on 94 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is May–June, September and December (about 40%).
Where in Chennai is wildlife easiest to see?
Stella Maris College
The spot where most wildlife watchers record their sightings is Stella Maris College (42 bird species recorded), followed by IIT Madras and Sholinganallur/Perumbakkam Marshlands. See them on the map.
Is Chennai good for wildlife watching?
4.8 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, which rates each city against other cities, Chennai gets 4.8/5: 38th of 380 cities worldwide and 15th in Asia. 22 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
Nearest Cities
Nearest Parks
Nearest Zoos & Centres
Sources: urban area GHSL Urban Centre Database R2024A, European Commission JRC (CC BY 4.0) · protected land WDPA, UNEP-WCMC & IUCN (via GHSL) · climate NASA POWER · wildlife GBIF.org citizen-science data