Avifauna Pulicat Lake

spot-billed pelican @ pulicat lake

the shallow lake known diversity of aquatic birds , important stopover on migration routes , reported third important wetland on eastern coast of india migratory shorebirds, particularly during spring , autumn migration seasons. in view of rich avifauna of lagoon, 2 bird sanctuaries established in lagoon, 1 in each of 2 states of andhra pradesh , tamil nadu. andhra pradesh portion of pulicat lake bird sanctuary, established in september 1976, has area of 172 square kilometres (66 sq mi) within lagoon’s total area in state in tada taluk of nellore district. wildlife division of state has listed 115 species of water , land birds in sanctuary. nelapattu bird sanctuary located nearby in catchment area. tamil nadu part of lagoon of 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi) area, extending on ponneri , gummidipundi taluks of thiruvallur district declared bird sanctuary in october 1980.

every year approximately 15,000 greater flamingos reported visit lake along pelicans, kingfishers, herons, painted storks, spoonbills , ducks. highest concentrations of flamingo found in periphery of lagoon water level below40 centimetres (16 in). concentrations of flamingos associated high algal, fish , benthic diversity. other water birds in area include spot-billed pelican, 7 species of herons , egrets, painted stork, greater flamingos, ducks, 20 species of shorebirds, gulls, terns, little grebe, indian cormorant, little cormorant, asian openbill stork, black-headed ibis, eurasian spoonbill, lesser whistling teal, spotbill duck, great thick-knee , stone curlew. several species of wintering waterfowl have been noted including bar-headed goose, ruddy shelduck, eurasian wigeon, common teal, northern pintail, garganey, northern shoveller, common pochard, brown-headed gull, black-headed gull, whiskered tern, gull-billed tern , caspian tern. birds of prey appear in winter the: white-bellied sea eagle, harriers , peregrine falcons. largest concentrations of flamingos occur in andhra pradesh part of sanctuary, around islands of vendadu , irukkam.