In a recent announcement, it has been declared that the annual Flamingo Festival will be held in January at Pulicat Lake. This unique festival is an important event in the calendar as Pulicat Lake is more than a mere body of water. It’s a rich ecosystem supporting a high biomass of fishes and planktons that are utilized as food resources by visiting birds. Up to 75 different species of aquatic and terrestrial birds visit the sanctuary every year, with the number notably higher in 2019 due to abundant rains.
The Annual Flamingo Festival
The yearly Flamingo Festival is a vibrant celebration and viewing opportunity for bird enthusiasts, environmentalists, and tourists. Named after the stunning flamingos that frequent the lake, the festival offers visitors an immersive experience in the realm of ornithology. The number of birds visiting the location is significantly larger than usual due to the good amount of rainfall received in the recent years, specifically in 2019.
Pulicat Lake: A Rich Ecosystem
Pulicat Lake is much more than a picturesque scene. The lake holds the title of being the second-largest brackish water ecosystem in the country, surpassed only by Chilika Lake in Odisha. Located on the border of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, the lake primarily falls within the territory of Andhra Pradesh. This rich ecosystem supports a great diversity of life, including a vast number of fish and plankton species, which provide sustenance for the various bird species that visit the lake.
Visiting Bird Species
Annually, a large variety of bird species, including grey pelicans and painted storks, flock to the serene waters of Pulicat Lake. These species, listed as near-threatened under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, find in this lake a safe refuge and abundant food resources.
| Bird Species | Status |
|---|---|
| Grey Pelican | Near-threatened |
| Painted Stork | Near-threatened |
Role of Climate: Abundant Rains
Interestingly, the number of birds visiting the Pulicat Lake sanctuary has seen an increase, traced back to the abundant rains that were received in the year 2019. The high rainfall increased the amount of food available in the form of fishes and planktons in the lake, thus creating a favorable environment for the aquatic and terrestrial bird species that visit this sanctuary annually.
