Amaravati, January 05, 2026: Pulicat Lake, India's second-largest brackish lagoon, and the nearby Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary have become vibrant winter refuges for migratory species.
Flocks from Siberia and across India arrived early this season, drawn by abundant plankton, fish, and prawns after favourable monsoon showers and Cyclone Montha's rains.
Nearly 52,000 birds now grace Pulicat, with 16,500 greater flamingos standing out in pink flocks. Over 30 species thrive here, such as grey pelicans, painted storks, glossy ibises, black-winged stilts, Eurasian coots, and various egrets.
At Nelapattu, more than 7,500 birds nest in Kadapa trees, with pelicans claiming treetops, open-billed storks in the middle, and cormorants below.
