LESSER FLAMINGO
Scientific Name:
Phoenicopterus minor
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION:
Central and Eastern Africa, Pakistan and India
CONSERVATION STATUS:
Abundant
SUMMARY:
The Lesser flamingo is the smallest and most abundant of all
the six species. It stands about 1.1 metre tall with long
stilt-like legs, deep pink plumage, webbed feet and a curved
bill and neck.
They are very sociable birds living in large flocks in shallow,
alkaline lakes. The Lesser flamingo has a life span of around
twenty years in its natural habitat but has been known to
live longer in captivity. One egg is hatched after twenty-nine
days.
THE PARK HAS 34
LESSER FLAMINGOS.
This beautiful little bird has been facing threats in the wild.
A mystery disease wiped out tens of thousands
of Lesser flamingos on Lake Bogoria in the Kenyan Rift
Valley. Eighty percent of the world's flamingo population
lives in this area, since Lake Nakuru, 60 miles south,
became uninhabitable for the birds some years ago.
The most likely cause seems to be pollution.
Tests on some of the fatalities showed alarming levels of
toxins such as arsenic, pesticide, mercury, copper and other
heavy metals. Conservationists were extremely concerned that
this spate of deaths since July 1999 could actually endanger
the whole species of Lesser Flamingos.
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE FOR
HUMANS:
POSITIVE:
The flamingo, by eating blue-green algae, helps keep
the algae level down in that area. They also help control
the number of small crustaceans and molluscs.
NEGATIVE: Flamingos
damage lagoons they live in by creating their nests; this
process can actually lead to flooding when the soil is
washed away.
CONSERVATION: The flamingos'
worst enemy is man who destroys the birds' habitat and kills
them for sport. Other enemies are climatic change, rising water,
pollution and predators.
