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