Winged visitors arrive in Pulicat Lake

• Greater flamingos and pelicans are some of the famous migratory birds that visit this place
• The region in which Pulicat lake is situated receives rainfall from both South-West as well as North-East monsoon winds
• The reason is largely due to increase in the storage levels in the reservoir in adjoining areas

About Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary :

• Nelapattu bird sanctuary is considered one of the biggest habitats for some hundreds of pelicans and other birds.
• Located about 20 km north of the Pulicat Lake on the Andhra Pradesh-Tamil Nadu border, the sanctuary is spread in about 459 hectares.
• Pulicat Lake is the second largest brackish water lake or lagoon in India, after Chilika Lake.
• It straddles the border of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu states with over 96% of it in Andhra Pradesh.
• The lake encompasses the Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary. The barrier island of Sriharikota separates the lake from the Bay of Bengal and is home to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
• Two rivers which feed the lagoon are the Arani River at the southern tip and the Kalangi River from the northwest, in addition to some smaller streams.
• The Buckingham Canal, a navigation channel, is part of the lagoon on its western side.
• Flamingo Festival is held every year to promote tourism in Pulicat and Nelapattu.
• The lake is also home for black-headed ibis, Asian openbill, black-crowned night heron, and little cormorant. Other migratory birds that visit the sanctuary include northern pintail, common teal, little grebe, northern shoveler, Eurasian coot, Indian spot-billed duck, grey heron, Oriental darter, black-winged stilt, garganey and gadwall
• The presence of Barringtonia and Acacia nilotica species near the Pulicat lake region provides an ideal breeding site for spot-billed pelicans.