Sulekere Lake (18234)
India, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2004
National site name: Sulekere Lake
Central coordinates: Latitude: 12.6667, Longitude: 76.8333
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 400 00
Area of KBA (km2): 2.61835
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: This large irrigation tank is situated near Kanali village, 15 km southeast of Mandya town. The tank is full throughout the year with canal water supplied from the Krishnarajasagar reservoir. Paddy and sugarcane fields surround the Lake.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: AVIFAUNA: This site can boast of large congregations of Spot-billed Pelican Pelecanus philippensis, Northern Shoveller Anas clypeata, Garganey A. querquedula, Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa, Brown-headed Gulls Larus brunnicephalus and Whiskered Terns Chlidonias hybridus. The thriving fishing industry sustains a large number of pelicans, as this is the nearest good source of food during the breeding season at Kokkarebellur (an IBA), which is situated 13 km northwest of the Lake. Over 200 Pelicans have been recorded feeding at this site on several occasions. The fisheries also support large numbers of Whiskered Terns, up to 1,500 in some years and Brown-headed Gulls, up to 500-600 in 1994-96 and up to 100 presently. The Northern Shoveller has always been the most abundant duck on the lake, with over 11,000 birds counted in January 2000, just above the 1% population threshold of 10,000 (Wetlands International 2002). Garganey sometimes congregate in enormous numbers prior to emigration in April, as this lake retains water when most other lakes in the region are dry. Between 18,000 - 21,000 birds have been recorded in several years, nearly ten times the threshold limit of 2,500. The site is a regular wintering ground for over 5,000 Black-tailed Godwit, five times the threshold of 1,000 (Wetlands International 2002). OTHER KEY FAUNA: Not known.
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: MAIN THREATS: Industrial waste; Pesticides in the runoff from surrounding fields; Over fishing; Infestation by water hyacinth. The sugar factory located in Mandya town discharges molasses and other effluents after dilution, into this lake. This has encouraged a luxuriant growth of Typha and Water Hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes around the lake that periodically reaches weed proportions when water levels are low.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pollution | Domestic & urban waste water | Type Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Wetlands International (2002) Waterbird Population Estimates: Third Edition. Wetlands International Global Series No. 12. Wageningen, The Netherlands.