Flamingo Festival draws families to Sullurpeta wetland sanctuary

Several families, especially those travelling with school-going children, reached Sullurpeta town to take part in the ongoing Flamingo Festival 2026 and catch a glimpse of migratory birds. The birds arrive at this breeding ground in November to lay eggs and begin their return journey by the end of winter. The Nelapattu bird sanctuary, home to migratory species such as spot-billed pelicans, emerged as the main attraction for visitors.

Migratory birds perched atop shrubs at the Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary on Sunday.
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ARRANGEMENT

While the government school ground in Sullurpeta served as the nerve centre by hosting the inaugural session and cultural programmes, other venues including the Environmental Education Centre at Atakanithippa, the Nelapattu bird sanctuary and the Bheemunivaripalem boating facility in the backwaters also witnessed heavy footfall. Visitors from Tirupati, Nellore, Annamayya, Kadapa and Chittoor districts arrived in large numbers, with some families travelling from as far as Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

Hema Sri, a student of Zilla Parishad High School at Urandur in Srikalahasti constituency, said she was thrilled to see thousands of birds perched on shrubs in the swamp forest. She also expressed relief over the availability of makeshift toilets at all venues.

The district administration arranged free buses to ferry visitors between venues. However, tourists found it challenging as the locations were widely scattered, particularly the Bheemunivaripalem boating point, which lies close to the Tamil Nadu border.