Pretty in Pink - The Flamingo

Pretty in Pink - The Flamingo 

 

Looking out into the enclosed pond of the Chilean Flamingo enclosure, at Durrell Wildlife Park where I am spending my summer, bordered on all sides by thick vegetation, a mixture of thick shrubbery & bulrushes thoughts of recent events are at the forefront of my mind. The sun unleashes its full power on the sodden ground beneath it and envelopes all it touches, unleashing a new beauty that had become faded recently in the monochrome vision created by dull skies, thick, endless clouds and violent storms experienced over the last few weeks. I could see the colony of flamingo going about their morning routine, seemingly un-phased by the recent conditions that had caused a degree of worry in myself, yet despite my concerns I remember that these birds are hardier than their fragile external demeanour. Whilst extravagant in plumage and varying from elegant to awkward on their feet flamingo are known for inhabiting and thriving in some of the harshest conditions Earth can muster, so as I glance out into the enclosure once more, perched on the wall to the pond as the colony gather to feed on their specialised pellet, I put the weather to the back of my mind as the encircled, secluded enclosure forms a metaphor in my mind for the secluded evolutionary niche which has seen these birds remain unchanged for possibly millions of years.

Flamingo are a bird for me that had been a staple part of my youth visiting zoos & wildlife parks. Yet, steady concern is growing for flamingo at an increasing pace to some of those that work with the animals, but not to a lot of the public who can view these marvellous birds in large numbers in a large number of zoological collections in Europe & the America's. Whilst no species of flamingo is currently listed as endangered the concerns stem from issues which could see numbers fall in the not too distant future if ignored. Caribbean, American & greater flamingo are listed as 'least concern' by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature & Natural Resources (IUCN) but the lesser, James' & Chilean flamingo are listed as 'near threatened' whilst the Andean flamingo is now considered 'vulnerable', deeming it as a species at high risk of extinction. On an evolutionary scale, flamingos have proved resilient and hesitant to succumb to the forces that have rapidly affected other species across the planet, so what has started this downward trend in these remarkable birds?

Flamingos, for highly specialised birds, have a diverse distribution across the world, from South America to the Caribbean, Africa , Southern Europe to South-West Asia & North-West India. Alongside this, in the right conditions these birds have an impressive longevity, the record holder being a greater flamingo from Adelaide zoo in Australia who reached 83 years old. One individual at Durrell Wildlife Park in Jersey also currently resides at nearly fifty years old. The ability for flamingo to move vast distances to establish new colonies also factors into the matter and played a role in what was thought to be the first major blow to flamingo when in 1924 James' flamingo was believed to be extinct, until 1957 where populations were discovered living in the Andes Mountains and in areas of Chile in substantial numbers. However, these reasons are inconsequential compared to the juggernauts which have caused a worldwide decline in biodiversity, one which is now effecting isolated specialists like the flamingo, global warming & inevitably human activity.

Flamingo global distribution

The flamingo's habitat is as diverse as its distribution, against what many would consider viable for a bird which looks suited to nothing but flat land. However, whether in warmer or cooler temperatures as long as the colony has the ability to roam with plenty of resources, such as food, they can survive in most conditions without adverse effects, an adaptation which has certainly aided their evolutionary prowess allowing them to survive efficiently for millions of years. Characteristically though their habitat consists of large alkaline or saline lakes or lagoons that are sparse of vegetation and fish although suitable habitat that is used also includes mangroves, tidal flats and sandy islands. Studies have shown that the alkaline nature of the waters they inhabit is the ultimate deciding factor for a colony of flamingo, if the waters become too acidic the micro-organisms that consume the salt will not thrive, and without them the flamingos cannot survive either. Global warming reduces this natural habitat over time, lagoons  and lakes dry up and the flamingos food disappears along with the water. This global climatic change also affects the flamingos ability to breed and reproduce. Although breeding is stimulated by rainfall, and thus providing more resources to sustain chicks, too much rain can halt breeding and too little rain can mean a colony can lose the desire to partake in reproduction. So by already living in difficult environments alterations to these habitats can make further adaptation very difficult for these birds.

It has long been established that the activities of humanity alter the lives and processes of the natural world, with regards to the flamingo this activity seems to couple with the effects of global warming often enhancing the negative impacts. one of the biggest fears for these birds is the spread of toxins and diseases (bacterial and viral). With flamingo living in colonies that can number in the thousands an outbreak could lead to whole colonies being decimated in a relatively short period of time. The introduction of industries to countries that can be described as developing can cause vast run offs, of chemicals and toxins into local water supplies polluting the water causing high levels of mortality in flamingo populations, something recently observed in the Rift Valley of South Africa. Whilst not an immediate source of death for these birds it has been concluded that over the last decade bacteria and toxins developing in the water around flamingos has without doubt affected them negatively. More evidence down this vein has been recorded over the years, in Kenya 20'000 flamingo were killed in 1993 due to bacteria that came from pesticides and toxic substances used in the surrounding area, toxins that if used over a period of years can make it difficult for populations to recover due to the saturation across the environment. 

It is important to stress though that although there is concern surrounding flamingo they are proving a valuable case study in favour of preventative conservation. Flamingo due to their popularity have been studied and observed fairly well; there are many efforts already in place to reintroduce once forced out populations and preservation of land is on the increase in some of the regions flamingo inhabit. The cleaning of lakes and lagoons is also being carried out to prevent further damage by the before mentioned problems. This, on top of the high number of flamingo in captivity means that the preservation of many species can be suitably assured should species face problems in the future. These measures of intervention mean that major efforts to limit damage can be avoided and good news can be found in that although numbers are less than a decade ago, populations are still large enough and healthy enough to suggest that there is no overhelming threat to their survival a of yet, but it becomes equally important to know that although there is good, a complacency to act is something that we have learned the hard way when it comes to other species that face a very real danger of extinction in our lifetime. It makes the tale of the flamingo a rather cautionary one.

Chilean Flamingo - Durrell Wildlife Park