A flock of 18 Greater Flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) was spotted at Veeranam Lake in Tamil Nadu's Cuddalore district, which is rare for this inland freshwater lake. The bird normally prefers coastal wetlands, mudflats, lagoons and shallow waters, and in winter usually moves from the Gulf of Kutch to the east coast. Scanty rainfall, lower Cauvery inflows and a shortage of food in coastal mudflats may have changed its usual migration route. The IUCN Red List classifies the species as Least Concern (LC).
