Context: 

Dozens of northern pintail, a migratory duck, and plovers have been found dead in Pulicat lake over the last few days.

Mysterious Northern Pintail Birds Deaths in Pulicat Lake

Suspected Reason for Their Death

• Fertiliser and Pesticide: Forest department has suspected that fertiliser or pesticide ingestion may be the major cause behind pintail and plovers’ death. 
• Organized Poaching: There might be the possibility of poaching behind pintail and plover’s death as people do poaching for food, earning money, etc. 

About Northern Pintail

• It is named on the basis of its long central tail feathers ending. 
• Nickname: “The greyhound of the skies.”  
• Habitat:
  • Open wetlands: Northern pintails live in open wetlands.
  • Nest making on the ground: They make nests on the ground, away from water.
• Distinctive Features:
  • Black and white striped head:  They have a unique appearance with a black and white striped head. 
  • They have chestnut-colored breast.
• Diet and Foraging:                                    
  • Omnivores: Pintail ducks are omnivores, eating both plants and animals.

Pulicat Lake

• It is a brackish water lake.
• Location: It is located between Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

• Rivers Feeding Lake: Arani river, Kalangi river, and Swarnamukhi river
• Sriharikota: It’s separated from the Bay of Bengal by a narrow area called Sriharikota.
• Significance: 
• • Part of Living Lakes: Pulicat Lake is part of a global network called Living Lakes and represented by CReNIEO.
  • Second biggest salty water area: It’s the second biggest salty water area in eastern India and home to a lot of different plants and animals.

News Source: The Hindu