| Lesser flamingo | |
|---|---|
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| Adults and two juveniles atJamnagar, India | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Phoenicopteriformes |
| Family: | Phoenicopteridae |
| Genus: | Phoeniconaias |
| Species: | P. minor |
| Binomial name | |
| Phoeniconaias minor (Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, É, 1798) | |
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| native range | |
| Synonyms | |
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Thelesser flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor) is aspecies offlamingo occurring insub-SaharanAfrica and westernIndia.[4] Birds are occasionally reported from farther north, but these are generally consideredvagrants.
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The lesser flamingo is the smallest species of flamingo, though it is a tall and large bird by most standards. The species can weigh from 1.2 to 2.7 kg (2.6 to 6.0 lb).[5] The standing height is around 80 to 90 cm (31 to 35 in).[6][7] The total length (frombeak to tail) and wingspan are in the same range of measurements, from 90 to 105 cm (35 to 41 in).[6][8] Most of the plumage is pinkish white. The clearest difference between this species and thegreater flamingo, the only other Old World species of flamingo, is the much more extensive black on the bill. Size is less helpful to distinguish the two species, unless they occur together, since the sexes of each species also differ in height.
The extinct speciesPhoeniconaias proeses in the same genus, from thePliocene of Australia, is thought to have been even smaller.[9]
The lesser flamingo may be the most common species of flamingo, with a population that (at its peak) probably numbered up to two million individual birds. This species feeds primarily onSpirulina,algae which grow only in veryalkaline lakes. Presence of flamingo groups near water bodies is an indication ofsodic alkaline water which is not suitable for irrigation use. Although blue-green in colour, the algae contain thephotosynthetic pigments that give the birds their pink colour. Their deep bill is specially adapted for filtering tiny food items. Other forms of algae taken areSynechocystis minuscula,Synechococcus pevalekii,Synechococcus elongatus,Monoraphidium minutum,Oscillatoria sp. andLyngbya sp.[10][11] This species will also feed, to a lesser extent, on small invertebrates: copepods (Paradiaptomus africanus), diatoms (Navicula) and rotifers (Brachionus), as well as microscopicalkaliphiliccyanobacteria (Arthrospira fusiformis,A. maxima).[10][11]
Lesser flamingos are prey to a variety of species, includingmarabou storks,vultures,baboons,African fish eagles,jackals,hyenas,foxes,Great white pelicans,Martial Eagle, andbig cats.[12][13]
In Africa, where they are most common, the lesser flamingos breed principally on the highlycausticLake Natron in northernNgorongoro District inArusha Region ofTanzania. Their other African breeding sites are atEtosha Pan,Makgadikgadi Pan, andKamfers Dam. The last confirmed breeding season at Aftout es Saheli in coastalMauritania was in 1965. Breeding occurred atLake Magadi inKenya in 1962 when Lake Natron was unsuitable due to flooding. In the early 20th century, breeding was also observed atLake Nakuru.[14]
The species also breeds in southwestern and southern Asia. In 1974, they bred at theRann of Kutch, but since then, only at the Zinzuwadia and Purabcheriasalt pans in northwestern India.[14][4] Some movement of individuals occurs between Africa and India.[15]
Like all flamingos, they lay a single chalky-whiteegg on a mound they build of mud. Chicks joincreches soon after hatching, sometimes numbering over 100,000 individuals. The creches are marshalled by a few adult birds that lead them by foot to fresh water, a journey that can reach over 20 mi (32 km).
Despite being the most common species of flamingo, it is classified asnear threatened due to its declining population and the low number of breeding sites, some of which are threatened by human activities.[16]
The population in the two key East African lakes,Lake Nakuru andLake Bogoria, have been adversely affected in recent years by suspectedheavy metalpoisoning, while its primary African breeding area in Lake Natron is currently under threat by a proposed soda ash plant byTata Chemicals.[17] The only breeding site in South Africa, situated atKamfers Dam, is threatened by pollution and encroaching development.[18] East African soda lake productivity declines due to rising water levels are another threat to the lesser flamingo.[19]
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| Other | |
