Source: TH
Context: The Tamil Nadu officially notified a Greater Flamingo Sanctuary in Dhanushkodi to safeguard critical wetland habitats along the Central Asian Flyway.
- The sanctuary covers over 500 hectares and forms part of the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve.
About Greater Flamingo Sanctuary in Dhanushkodi:
- What it is?
- A newly notified wildlife sanctuary aimed at protecting migratory wetland birds, especially greater flamingos, in their natural stopover habitat.
- Location:
- Situated in Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu.
- Spans 7 hectares of revenue and forest land within Rameshwaram taluk.
- Key Ecological Features:
- Located within the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, one of India’s richest marine ecosystems.
- Home to 128 bird species including flamingos, herons, sandpipers, and egrets.
- Hosts mangroves (Avicennia and Rhizophora), mudflats, marshes, and sand dunes.
- Recorded over 10,700 wetland birds in the 2023–24 bird survey.
- Supports sea turtle nesting and other marine biodiversity.
- Significance:
- Serves as a vital node on the Central Asian Flyway for migratory birds.
- Enhances ecotourism, biodiversity conservation, and local livelihood generation.
- Provides natural protection against coastal erosion and climate impacts.
About the Greater Flamingo:
- Scientific Name: Phoenicopterus roseus
- Physical Features:
- Height: 90 to 150 cm and tall, pink wading birds with long necks and legs.
- Distinctive downturned bills used for filter feeding in shallow water.
- Coloration comes from carotenoids in their diet.
- Biological Traits:
- Builds cone-shaped mud nests in lagoons.
- Lays 1–2 eggs and both parents participate in incubation.
- Chicks are downy white and are fed by regurgitation.
- Social Behaviour:
- Highly gregarious, forming large colonies during breeding.
- Fly in coordinated V-shaped flocks.
- Known to stand on one leg—possibly to conserve body heat or energy.
