WHITE
PELICAN - ENVIRONMENT
News:
A vagrant Great White
Pelican spotted near Pulicat lake
What's
in the news?
●
A lone Great White Pelican was spotted for
a few fleeting moments at the Nelapattu bird sanctuary, located at the end of
the Pulicat lake in Andhra Pradesh, on December 29.
Grey
White Pelican:
●
The Grey White Pelican which is also known
as Rosy Pelican is almost double the
size of the Grey Pelican.
Habitat:
●
The species is associated with relatively
large, warm, shallow fresh, brackish, alkaline or saline lakes, lagoons,
marshes, broad rivers, deltas, estuaries and coasts of landlocked seas.
●
The species requires secure areas of extensive wet swamps, mudflats and
sandbanks or gravel and rocky substrates for nesting.
Geographical Distribution:
●
The Great White Pelican has two distinct populations - one in
eastern Europe and Asia, and the other in Africa.
●
The bird is a winter visitor to Africa and
Asia.
Protection:
●
IUCN Status - Least Concern
●
CITES - Appendix I
●
Bern Convention - Appendix II
Go
back to basics:
Pulicat
lake:
●
Pulicat Lake is the second largest brackish water lake or lagoon in India after Chilika
Lake.
●
It is located on the border of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu with over 96% of it in
Andhra Pradesh and 4% in Tamil Nadu situated on Coromandel Coast in South
India.
●
The lake encompasses Pulicat Lake Bird
Sanctuary.
●
The large varieties of birds like grey
pelicans, painted storks, visit the site annually.
●
The barrier
island of Sriharikota separates the lake from the Bay of Bengal and is home
to Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
●
Arani
and Kalangi are two rivers which feed the lagoon.
●
The Buckingham Canal, a navigation
channel, is part of the lagoon on its western side.
●
The lake is famous for the flamingo festival which is held every
year to promote tourism in Pulicat lake by Andhra Pradesh.
●
Usually, around 80 different avian species
migrate to Pulicat for breeding.