Salt marshes, lagoons, backwater and mangroves along the coast attract migratory birds especially greater flamingos as this environment seem to be a natural habitat for these birds.
These greater flamingo colonies have migrated from parts of Africa, southern Asia, Middle East and southern Europe to the east and west coast of India, according to G.Lakshmanan, Professor and Head, Department of Zoology, Aditanar College, Tiruchendur.
The Gulf of Mannar is blessed with a rich biodiversity and it is known to harbour over 36, 000 species of marine flora and fauna. The salt marshes and mangrove forests were repositories for many marine organisms since these natural habitats provided rich and valuable nutrients to them.
Mr. Lakshmanan, a bird enthusiast, said the purpose of migration is mainly for feeding and to avoid extreme heat from their native places. Among the migratory birds, the greater flamingo colonies were noticed mostly in salt marshes and mangrove habitats of Thoothukudi coast. The backwater of Palayakayal mangroves, salt marshes of Vembar, Veppalodai, Kulathoor, Panaiyur and Harbour beach attract many colonies of flamingos.
“The greater flamingos migrate during night. They can fly at a speed of around 300 miles an hour. The flamingos generally glide without flapping the wings continuously. This flamingo species is included in the “Last Concern” category by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN),” he said here on Tuesday.
The flamingos feed on crabs, prawns, lobsters, mollusks, insects, worms and small fishes. This bird species rely on diet such as algae, grasses, decaying leaves and shoots.
Referring to its features, he said “height of the flamingo is 61 to 74 inches and its weight is about four to eight pounds. Its feathers range in colour from dark pink to bright red.”
A research team of his college made a survey in August and reported that the availability of the plenty of such marine organisms attracts a variety of migratory birds during pre-monsoon, monsoon and post monsoon seasons.
At Thoothukudi coast, small colonies from 200 to 1000 pairs were observed and 2,000 pairs of major colonies observed in the Palayakayal estuary.
If coastal habitats such as salt marshes, estuaries and mangrove forests were conserved and preserved, many flamingo colonies might visit these places in future, he said.