ADVENTURE & WILDLIFE
Greater Flamingos extend stay in Pulicat
Naturalists surprised , say a study is needed on the movement of the birds
The extended stay by greater flamingos at Pulicat Lake has surprised naturalists and bird lovers .
The migratory birds usually stay between September and March in the part of the lake that falls within Andhra Pradesh limits . But their stay for four additional months in the lake falling within Tamil Nadu has surprised naturalists , who are unable to figure out why it has happened .
A big colony of greater flamingos numbering nearly 1,500 is being seen in Annamalaicherry village on Pulicat lake . This village is located on the southern side of the lake . K . V . R . K . Thirunaranan of The Nature Trust said that over the last few years , greater flamingos have been extending their stay at the sanctuary .
Normally , one can see the greater lamingos on the northern part of the lake , which falls under the Andhra Pradesh side and the colony occupies the lake until March . Once the water level increases , they move to the southern part of the lake , in Tamil Nadu , he said .
Mr Thirunaranan said Annamalaicherry is a haven for the bird watchers , as one can sight more than 100 species of birds including flamingos . “ A proper study needs to be taken up on the movement of the flamingos from the northern part of the lake to the southern part ,” he said .
A couple of years ago , the State Forest department entrusted the bird survey work in Annamalaicherry to a group of naturalists , but this is not continuing any more , said bird watchers .
T . Murugavel of the Environment Monitoring and Action Initiating said the movement was mainly due to availability of feed . Mostly , adult flamingos were seen with juveniles at the lake . Rarely , lesser flamingos also came to the southern part of the lake , he said .
Naturalists said the State government has decided to take 6.46 hectares of l and from Annamalaicherry , Periamangadu and Pazhaverkadu falling within the sanctuary area .
While fish-landing centres would come up at the first two places , in the third place the land will be used for constructing an evacuation shelter . Creating such facilities in the sanctuary would have a negative impact on the birds that colonise the sanctuary , they said . At present a Range officer is taking care of the management of both the Pulicat and Vedanthangal bird sanctuaries . Instead , officials should post one Range officer each to the sanctuaries , they said .
The lesser flamingo is the smallest species of flamingo , though it is a tall and large bird by most standards . ... The clearest difference between this species and the greater flamingo , the only other Old World species of flamingo , is the much more extensive black on the bill .
12 Vol 2 | Issue 1 | Mar - May 2017