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There is a flooded salt pan called Las Salinas, in the very centre of the the busy tourist resort of Calpe, on the Spanish Costa Blanca--it is a favourite breeding spot for Greater Flamingos up from their winter home in Africa. The birds are regular visitors here and are well protected by the town's residents and have provided a welcome attraction for the many thousands of tourists who flock here between June and September for sun and seaside holidays.
I went down pre-dawn this June to study this colony or "flamboyance" of around 200 Flamingos .
The Greater Flamingo is the most widespread and largest species of the Flaming family, averaging 43 - 59 inches tall and weighing 4.4 -8.8 lbs. Mos of the plumage is pinkish-white, but the wing coverts are red and the primary and secondary flight feathers are black-the bill is pink.
The pink and red colourations come from the carotinoid pigments in the organisms( especially Brine shrimp) that live in their salty feeding grounds-- the birds feed with their heads under water to catch the small shrimp, seeds (such as rice) blue-green algae, diatoms, insect larvae and molluscs, which are stirred up from the bottom by the birds feet as they shuffle through the shallow water. Tooth like ridges on the outside of the Flamingos bill help filter them from the water.
Though there is no difference in colour or plumage, the males are significantly taller. Both have large rounded bodies balanced on very straight and very long legs, although the thigh itself is only 3 inches long, thus their legs bend at the ankle instead of at the knee ! To cope with the harsh chemicals in the water their skin is thickened and the legs are scaly to avoid burns.
At first light the birds spend much of their time preening, scratching, or re-waterproofing their feathers from a gland in their bills as they tend to feed continuously overnight , limiting their feather displays to daylight when the visibility is better.
A male "showing off" his feathers and "strutting his stuff" to intimidate nearby males and hopefully impress the females too.
I went down pre-dawn this June to study this colony or "flamboyance" of around 200 Flamingos .
You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.
The Greater Flamingo is the most widespread and largest species of the Flaming family, averaging 43 - 59 inches tall and weighing 4.4 -8.8 lbs. Mos of the plumage is pinkish-white, but the wing coverts are red and the primary and secondary flight feathers are black-the bill is pink.
You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.
The pink and red colourations come from the carotinoid pigments in the organisms( especially Brine shrimp) that live in their salty feeding grounds-- the birds feed with their heads under water to catch the small shrimp, seeds (such as rice) blue-green algae, diatoms, insect larvae and molluscs, which are stirred up from the bottom by the birds feet as they shuffle through the shallow water. Tooth like ridges on the outside of the Flamingos bill help filter them from the water.
You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.
Though there is no difference in colour or plumage, the males are significantly taller. Both have large rounded bodies balanced on very straight and very long legs, although the thigh itself is only 3 inches long, thus their legs bend at the ankle instead of at the knee ! To cope with the harsh chemicals in the water their skin is thickened and the legs are scaly to avoid burns.
You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.
At first light the birds spend much of their time preening, scratching, or re-waterproofing their feathers from a gland in their bills as they tend to feed continuously overnight , limiting their feather displays to daylight when the visibility is better.
You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.
A male "showing off" his feathers and "strutting his stuff" to intimidate nearby males and hopefully impress the females too.
