Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary

Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary is a sanctuary for birds, 759 km2 in area, located in the Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh and a protected area of the Thiruvallur District of Tamil Nadu, India. Pulicat Lake is the second largest brackish-water eco-system in India after Chilka lake in Orissa.[1] The sanctuary's international name is Pulicat Lake Wildlife Sanctuary (IBA Code: IN261, Criteria: A1, A4iii).[2]

Pulicat-spotted pelican
Painted stork (Mycteria leucocephala)

Geography

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Central location is: 13°34′N 80°12′E / 13.567°N 80.200°E / 13.567; 80.200. 327.33 km2 is managed by the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department[3] and 153.67 km2 is managed by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department. 108 km2 is a National Park area. Rainfall ranges from 800–2000 mm. Temperature varies from 14°C to 33°C. Altitude ranges from 100’ above mean sea level to 1200’ above mean sea level.[1]

Fauna

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The sanctuary has many greater flamingos.[1] It also attracts many migratory birds and also is a feeding and nesting ground for aquatic and terrestrial birds such as pelicans, storks, etc. The biodiversity of this lake attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors per year.[citation needed]

Threats

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Pulicat Lake may disappear within 100 years by being filled up with silt.[4] Efforts by government and private non-governmental organizations are working to halt lake destruction. The Art & Architecture Research, Development and Education (AARDE) Foundation does regular activities at Pazhaverkadu to create awareness on the vanishing lagoon.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Tamil Nadu Forest Department retrieved 9/9/2007 Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary Archived 4 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ BirdLife International Pulicat Lake Wildlife Sanctuary
  3. ^ Andhra Pradesh Forest Department, PULICAT Wildlife Sanctuary Archived 25 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Raj, P. J. Sanjeeva. Macro Fauna of Pulicat Lake Archived 27 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, National Biodiversity Authority Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. (2006)