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Site description (2004 baseline):

Nelapattu, named after village of the same name in Doravani Sathram Mandal of Nellore district, was notified as a bird sanctuary in 1976. The Sanctuary is divided into the following components: Kallur Reserve Forest Area (288.14 ha), Nelapattu Tank Area (82.56 ha) and Unreserved Forest Area (88.22 ha). The Sanctuary supports the largest pelicanry of Spot-billed or Grey Pelican Pelecanus philippensis in India. It is also a breeding site for the White or Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus, Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans, Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax, and Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger. It is a haven for a broad spectrum of bird species for both breeding and roosting. About 12 km from Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary lies village Vedurupattu, where hundreds of Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala breed (Philip et al. 1998). Both these sites can be considered as one IBA. The Sanctuary has Swamp Forests in the tank portion and Southern Dry Evergreen Scrub Forests in the Reserve and Unreserved Forest. The dominant species are Manilkara hexandra, Maba buxifolia and Buchanania angustifolia in the Reserve and Unreserved forests, and Barringtonia acutangula in the tank area.

AVIFAUNA: About 187 bird species are known to occur in the Sanctuary, of which 50 are migratory (Sharma and Raghavaiah 2002). The Grey or Spot-billed Pelican, White Ibis, Asian Openbill, Little Cormorant, Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia and the Blackcrowned Night Heron are some of the major breeders. Other waterfowl species include Dabchick Tachybaptus ruficollis, Northern Pintail Anas acuta, Common Teal A. crecca, Northern Shoveler A. clypeata, Garganey A. querquedula, Gadwall A. strepera, Coot Fulica atra, Grey Heron Ardea cinerea, Darter Anhinga melanogaster, Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus and various egrets, terns and other waders. Nelapattu is one of the most important pelicanries in India, but the number of breeding pairs has decreased, judging from 1,500 nests during its heyday to 300-350 nests in 1980-81, and only 100 pairs in 1990 (Santharam 1993). V. Kannan of the BNHS counted 265 nests in 2002-2003, but according to the Forest Department, between 350 and 500 nests were present, and over 750 chicks hatched in the 2002-2003 season (N. Shiva Kumar in litt. 2003). Besides the Spot-billed Pelican, other species also breed in Nelapattu tank. In 1997, Philip et al. (1998) found 951 adults and chicks of Asian Openbill, 121 of White Ibis, 3445 of Little Cormorant, 182 of Black-crowned Night Heron, 337 of Little Egret, 152 of Cattle Egret and 76 of Little Grebe. In the village Vedurupattu, about 12 km from Nelapattu, Philip et al. (1998) reported more than 1300 Painted Stork adults and chicks. The birds nest right in the middle of the village on large trees and the villagers even raise the fallen chicks till they are able to fly. But according to Manakadan and Kannan (2003), breeding was not noticed during 2002 and 2003.

OTHER KEY FAUNA: There are no large mammals in the sanctuary. However, Golden Jackal Canis aureus, Black-naped Hare Lepus nigricollis, Monitor Lizard Varanus bengalensis, Tortoise and some species of snakes exist in the Sanctuary.

MAIN THREATS: Pumping of water from tank; Decline in Barringtonia trees.

Local people treat the birds as celestial beings and offer them protection. Droppings of pelican and other birds enrich the soil and water, which is used by the villagers for irrigation. The pivotal conservation issue on which the survival of this pelicanry depends is the growth of Barringtonia trees. Since the devastating cyclone of 1984, during which large numbers of old Barringtonia trees were uprooted and the tank bund breached, the Sanctuary has not regained its past glory. Of the 120 trees in the tank before the cyclone, less than 40 now survive and even they are under tremendous pressure (Santharam 1993). Another problem is the pumping out of tank water by rich farmers, exposing the nests to terrestrial predators and human disturbance. The pelican and other birds nest on submerged Barringtonia trees. Earlier, the trees used to be surrounded by water for many months, till the chicks were able to fly. But now, influential farmers draw out the water through motor pumps, thus the tank dries up much faster. Sharma and Raghavaiah (2002) have shown a direct correlation between rainfall (and water level in the tank) and breeding success of the Pelicans. If Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary is to be saved, the Forest Department, and the local villagers should regulate the use of water to ensure that some water remains till the pelican chicks are able to fly. To safeguard the interests of the villagers, the Wildlife Wing has taken up eco-developmental activities. These include an agricultural improvement programme by drilling bore wells for irrigation and drinking water facility. To reduce dependency on the sanctuary area for their fuel wood requirement, alternate energy sources like biogas plants, smokeless “chullas” are provided. To meet the fodder requirement of cattle, silvipasture plantations are being raised. Apart from this, laying of road to the village and planting avenue trees has also been taken up.

Key contributors: V. Kannan and V. Santharam.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary (India). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/nelapattu-bird-sanctuary-iba-india on 25/11/2024.