Greater Flamingo Sanctuary

Greater Flamingo Sanctuary Latest News

Recently, the Tamil Nadu government has officially declared a Greater Flamingo sanctuary at Dhanushkodi in Ramanathapuram district.

About Greater Flamingo Sanctuary

• It is located in Dhanushkodi in Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu.
• It is nestled within the ecologically sensitive Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve.
• The designated area is home to a variety of ecosystems, including mangroves, sand dunes, mudflats, and marshes.
• It is a critical stopover along the Central Asian Flyway.
• The move aims to preserve a critical stopover point along the Central Asian Flyway for thousands of migratory wetland birds.
• This region supports 128 bird species, including Greater and Lesser Flamingos.
• The area features diverse ecosystems and mangrove forests like Avicennia and Rhizophora, which stabilise the coastline and provide habitats for marine life, including fish, crustaceans, molluscs, and nesting sea turtles.

Key Facts about Greater Flamingo

• It is a large wading bird known for its distinctive pink feathers and unique feeding habits.
• Distribution: Its range spans Africa, western Asia, and southern Europe.
• Habitat: It is usually found in shallow, saline, alkaline wetlands, such as salt lakes, coastal lagoons, intertidal mudflats, and saltworks during the breeding season.

Conservation Status of Greater Flamingo

• IUCN: Least concern
• Wild Life Protection Act: Schedule-II

Greater Flamingo Sanctuary FAQs

Q1: Which state bird is the greater flamingo?

Ans: Gujarat

Q2: What is the scientific name for the pink flamingo?

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Ans: Phoenicopterus ruber

Q3: Which is the flamingo capital of India?

Ans: The correct answer is Kutch-Rann.

Source: TH