areunmistakable
birds. Even if you have never seen one before, with your first
glimpse you know what they are. Pink plumage, extremely long neck
and legs and a distinctive down curved bill are
all straight giveaways. Those elegant or ungainly birds
(depending on your personal taste) are most often
observed wading in shallow lagoons. Ecuador boasts of two species, the
Greater Flamingo, which is commonly observed on various Galapagos islands and the
smaller
Chilean Flamingo, seen more rarely in the southwestern Pacific regions
of the mainland.
Flamingos are very unique in
many aspects. One of their most distinct feature is the
beautiful
pink to reddish color of their plumage. That is
obtained in adulthood as young birds (see
photo to left) are still mostly missing it. The color is
acquired and later
maintained by a carotene rich diet of aquatic
invertebrates.
Captive birds often lose the richness of the color with an improper
diet. Also once the feathers are plucked the pink fades away.
That was a blessing in disguise while many other wild birds were
killed for their plumes.
Flamingos
are wading birds and were once according to the fossil record
widespread. Presently they are however restricted to
inhospitable habitats, shallow saline lakes and
coastal lagoons. They are able to withstand those adverse
conditions, high water temperatures and salinity, where
other waders and shorebirds will not feed anymore. Thus the
flamingos carved out
an uncontested feeding niche for themselves. Other
adaptations to this lifestyle are webbed feet to be able
to walk on the mud without sinking in and scaly legs to
withstand better the high water salinity.
Flamingos can be most
often observed wading in small lagoons with shallow waters. There they feed mostly on
algae, shrimps and other aquatic invertebrates by filtering
them out from the water. Dangling down
their head, their down curved bill is then parallel with the
bottom pointing backwards. They swing then their heads in a sideway motion
and using their tongue as a pump, suck in
water with the food. The tongue then squeezes the water
against the bill
with its rows of lamellae (comb-like structures).
There the tiny prey get trapped inside the mouth while the
water can escape. Continuing on in that manner, they
keep their head quite for a while underneath the water. Video clip: Punta Cormorant,
Floreana
Flamingos breed in large colonies and perform
elaborate courtship displays in groups. The Greater Flamingos buildnest mounds out of mud, up to half a meter high with a small
depression on top, where one egg (sometimes two) are laid.
Both parents incubate for close to a month and then the semi-precocial
chick hatches. It leaves already the nest after several days and
joins other chicks in a crιche (group
of young birds)
which are watched over by some adults. In the
beginning chicks are fed a milky secretion by both parents
(similar to pigeons) and start to feed by themselves after around one
month.
FEATHER CAREis a very important in the life of birds. A thorough cleaning of their plumage
(preening) is a daily chore and necessary in maintaining
their health. Parasites like lice and mites,
fungi, bacteria, etc...are all removed by this process.
Furthermore a preen oil taken from the preen
gland (located at the base of the tail) is smeared by
the bill on the feathers. That prevents them from
drying out and becoming brittle over time. That is
important for flight, insulation and waterproofing
purposes. Also a rich and well kept plumage is an
attractive part in courtship. Flamingos with their long
and highly flexible necks are able to reach most
parts of their body. Some birds also preen each other (allopreening)
in hard to reach areas. An activity which also helps in
social bonding. Photo taken in the lagoon
aptly called "Pozo de Flamingos" (pozo = well) on
Santiago island.
The Chilean
Flamingo is widespread in
thesouthern Andean countries. Theynest and feed mostly in the shallow
salares
(salt lagoons) of the
high Andean altiplanos (high valleys) up
to 5000m. But they also can be found in the lower coastal regions
and its most northern range is the southwestern part of coastal Ecuador,
where theyoccur in small numbers.
It is quite smaller than the Greater Flamingo and
not as pink overall in appearance. On the wings reddish color
shows and the wing primaries and secondaries are
black
which can be bestappreciated in flight
(see above). Other very striking features are their red webbed feet and
red kneecaps. Those pictures were taken at
Santa Lucia Lagoon situated at 3800m in Northern
Chile.
Flamingos make up the family of Phoenicopteridae
in their own avian order of Phoenicopteriformes.
Older classifications put them in the order of Ciconiiformes
with the storks and herons, which are seen as their closest
relations. But some ornithologists suggest closer relationships
with Anseriformes (ducks and geese) or Charadiiformes (stilts and avocets).
Their correct classification is hotly debated as
they possess similarities with all three groups.
There are 5 species worldwide occurring in the
tropical and sub-tropical regions of the Americas, Africa, Asia
and southern Europe. 3 species range in high altitude regions of
the Andes (see below).
Greater
Flamingois the most widespread specie
ranging in the Americas, Asia & Africa and southern
Europe. In some classifications it is however split into
two separate species the Greater Flamingo
(comprising the birds in Asia, Africa and Europe) and
the
American Flamingo. According to that scheme the birds we
featured here in the Galapagos would be the American
Flamingo.
Lesser
Flamingois the most numerous in
individual birds ranging mostly in East Africa (and some
other parts of Africa and Asia) where
sometimes a million of them can be seen flocking on
saline lakes
(most famous site is Lake Nakuru in Kenya).
Chilean Flamingo is found in the coastal regions and
high Andes ranging from southern Ecuador to Chile.
Andean
Flamingo and James's Flamingo range only in
thehigh Andes mountains in Peru, Bolivia, Chile
and Argentina.
Ecuadorian Species
Name
Scientific
Location
Greater Flamingo
Phoenicopterus ruber
Galapagos
Chilean Flamingo
Phoenicopterus chilensis
Southwest Pacific Coast
Evolutionary
Thought
Filter Feeding is the process by which tiny aquatic
animals, plants and algae are strained from the water and thus
consumed. It is one of many niches which were explored by
animals in their evolutionary history and found worthy by
some members of the invertebrate and vertebrate animals. Three
groups of birds use it, the ducks, petrels of the
genus Pachyptila and flamingos, which are the most
specialized of them all. Biological adaptations in the flamingo
to achieve that is a large fleshy tongue, serving as a
pumping mechanism. It is housed in a broad lower jaw
whereas the upper jaw is narrow. Both are bent
for increased
surface area. Lamellae are comblike structures at the
edge of the peak which retain the food while letting the water
pass. The very same structures, somewhat in larger proportions of course,
can also be found in the balleen whales.
Convergent evolution again shows its power with two distinct
and unrelated
animals coming up with the same solutions to particular
problems. Manta rays and whale sharks are also plankton feeders.
Amazingly those three aquatic animals are also the
largest creatures in their group. To be huge you do not
have to be a predator of other large animals. Microscopic food
but enormous amounts of it are sufficient to win that
distinction.
Bird
Watching Tips
The
Greater Flamingo is only present in the Galapagos where you
can find it in any of the lagoons close to seashore. On a
regular cruise you will see them at Punta Cormorant on
Floreana island.
The best chance to see the Chilean Flamingo in
Ecuador is at the Ecuasal lagoons (permission needed)
near Salinas on the Santa Elena Peninsula.
Avian
Vocabulary
Waders: are birds with long necks and legs found in the
wetlands and at the coast, e.g. herons, flamingos, ibises,
spoonbills
Shorebirds:
are also wading birds found at the beaches and lagoons but
smaller without long necks and legs, e.g. sandpipers, plovers,
sanderlings
