Vaduvur Bird Sanctuary is composed of small man-made reservoirs interconnected by an ancient network of canals and fed by the Mettur reservoir, in the semi-arid district of Thiruvarur. The rooted floating aquatic plants distributed through the reservoir provide habitat for around 118 bird species, including spot-billed pelican (Pelecanus philippensis), black-headed ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus), Eurasian wigeon (Mareca Penelope), and northern pintail (Anas acuta). Similarly, the aquatic submerged and terrestrial vegetation in and around the wetland provide foraging and breeding habitat for the birds. The interconnected wetland system acts as a buffer against flooding and also provides water during periods of drought. The Sanctuary is threatened by increasing anthropogenic pressures related to urbanization, water abstraction, unsustainable fishing, invasive species and climate change, and so has been identified as an area of national importance by the national government. The Tiruvarur Forest Division implemented a management plan from 2016 to 2021 to counter these threats.