Winter Brings Migratory Birds, Making Pulicat, Nelapattu a Feast for Eyes

Nellore: Bird lovers are excited with the winter witnessing thousands of migratory birds arriving at the Pulicat and Nelapattu bird sanctuaries near Sullurpet in Tirupati district. The annual spectacle, unfolding about 90 km from both Nellore and Chennai, has transformed the region into a lively vista of colour and sound.

Greater flamingos, grey pelicans, painted storks, glossy ibises, egrets of various kinds, Eurasian coots, purple swamphens, black-winged stilts, seagulls and dozens of other species have returned to the brackish stretches of Pulicat Lake and the lush wetlands of Nelapattu.

In all, more than 30 species from across India and distant regions, such as Siberia, have started settling in for their seasonal sojourn.

Thanks to early rains, water levels in Pulicat have remained favourable from September, prompting the first flocks to touch down well ahead of time. Their numbers have only grown since October. Wildlife officials say the birds rely on these sanctuaries not only for feeding but also for breeding. By March, they will take to the skies again—this time with their newly trained young in tow.

Foresters describe Pulicat and Nelapattu as a haven for both common and rare species, including pelicans, painted storks, grey herons, open-billed storks, spoonbills and night herons.

Pulicat Lake is India’s second-largest brackish water lagoon, supporting an extraordinary variety of fish, prawns, crustaceans and plankton, making the lake and its surroundings an abundant feeding ground. Each winter, nearly 163 species are known to visit this region.

The forest department hired wildlife photographer Ayaz to wade deep into Pulicat Lake to capture images of flamingos feeding in the waters.

Local villagers treat the visiting birds with reverence, believing them to be celestial beings. The villagers’ protective attitude has long been considered one of the region’s quiet strengths in safeguarding the ecosystem. Locals affectionately call flamingos Samudrapu Ramachilakalu—Parrots of the Sea.

Wildlife officials estimate that over 7,500 birds are currently nesting at Nelapattu alone, many perched on Kadapa (Barringtonia acutangula) trees that rise from the sanctuary’s tank. Pelicans typically occupy the treetops, with open-billed storks nesting in the middle and cormorants using the lower branches.

For visitors, the sanctuary has an environmental education centre, museum, library and an auditorium.

Pulicat is hosting close to 52,000 birds this season, including an impressive 16,500 greater flamingos. Their usual feeding grounds lie near the road to ISRO’s spaceport at Sriharikota. But the recent heavy rains during Cyclone Montha have pushed many into shallower stretches of the lake.

Divisional forest officer (DFO-Wildlife) E. Harika said Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary, close to National Highway 16 near Sullurpeta in Doravarisatram mandal, is open to visitors from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pulicat, spread along the route to ISRO’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre, is similarly accessible.

With the number of migratory birds continuing to rise, officials and bird watchers alike expect the coming weeks to offer some of the best viewing of the season.