After a long a gap, a flock of five greater flamingoes has been spotted on the Coast of Hope Island, a part of the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary. The long-legged and long-necked birds were last seen in a group about two and a half decades ago, while a lone flamingo was recorded in the 2016 Asian Water Bird Census at Sirra Yanam village in East Godavari district.
“We spotted the group during our visit to the Hope Island where we are conducting a routine survey of mangrove plantations,” says Shanti Priya Pandey, Chief Conservator of Forests and also the CEO of the East Godavari River Estuarine Ecosystem (EGREE) Foundation. She visited the Hope Island on Saturday along with Chief Conservator of Forests from Visakhapatnam Rahul Pandey and clicked snaps with her mobile.
Spread over 235 sq. km, the sanctuary is an abode for about 35 species of mangrove plants and another 120 species of rare birds. In addition, 236 species of migratory birds are spotted in and around the sanctuary with over 60,000 water birds visiting the sanctuary every year. A group of greater flamingoes, however, was last seen here in 1993.
“The sighting is an important development. Generally, the birds are always on the lookout for mudflats for nesting. We should keep track of their movement,” says K. Mrutyunjaya Rao, State coordinator of the Indian Bird Conservation Network.
“The greater flamingoes are the filter feeders and get their characteristic pink colour from their diet of brine shrimps and algae available in the coastal wetlands. We feel the flamingoes are the indicators of healthy coastal environment,” says Ms. Shanti Priya.
