In India, pelicans breed in
2018
In India, pelicans breed in
Answer: D. All of the above — A breeding site for a colonial waterbird is a heronry — a place where the birds actually build nests and raise chicks — which is a stricter idea than a place…
- A.
Nelapattu
- B.
Koonthankulam
- C.
Kokkare Bellur
- D.
All of the above
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
A breeding site for a colonial waterbird is a heronry — a place where the birds actually build nests and raise chicks — which is a stricter idea than a place where they merely feed or spend the winter. Pelicans nest in colonies, and the pelican that breeds within India is the spot-billed (grey) pelican, Pelecanus philippensis; the great white and Dalmatian pelicans reach India as winter visitors and nest outside the country.
A spot-billed pelican colony needs two things together: tall spreading trees (tamarind, Barringtonia, peepal) strong enough to hold the heavy stick nests, and a shallow, fish-rich tank or backwater within easy flying distance for food. That combination occurs in the tank-and-village landscapes of peninsular India, which is why India's pelican heronries sit in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka rather than in the large northern wetlands where pelicans appear as winter visitors.
Testing each of the three places named in the question against that definition:
Site | Where it is | Nesting record |
|---|---|---|
Nelapattu | Nelapattu tank, Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh, on the northern edge of the Pulicat Lake wetland complex | Spot-billed pelicans nest here in large numbers on Barringtonia and tamarind trees from about October to March; among the largest pelican heronries in South Asia |
Koonthankulam | Koonthankulam–Kadankulam tanks, Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu | Spot-billed pelicans nest here along with painted storks, ibises and other waterbirds, on a tank heronry guarded by the villagers themselves |
Kokkare Bellur | Village on the Shimsha river, Mandya district, Karnataka | Spot-billed pelicans and painted storks nest on tamarind and peepal trees standing inside the village; a community reserve grew up around the nesting birds |
All three places clear the test — each is a documented nesting colony, not merely a feeding or wintering halt — so the response that covers all three together, the ‘All of the above’ entry, is the supported answer. The same pattern repeats at India's other pelican heronries, such as Uppalapadu and Telineelapuram in Andhra Pradesh: a village or an irrigation tank in the southern peninsula with big trees beside shallow water. Pelicans seen at northern wetlands in winter are migrants that breed outside India, which is why those wetlands are not counted as pelican breeding sites.