OTHER NAMES: Flamingo
Latin Etymology: Phoenicopterus ("red winged") roseus ("rosy")
Seven adult Greater Flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) at Laguna Navaseca, Spain - April 2016
Weight: 2-4kg / Height: 1-1.5m / Wingspan: 1.4-1.7m
ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List: Least Concern
Flamingos are perhaps one of the most famous bird groups in the world, their pink colouration being the main reasons I suspect. The Greater Flamingo is probably the most easily found species in Europe, although it is by no means common, being limited to a few areas such as the Camargue in France, and the Donana National Park in Southern Spain, where I encountered them the first time. They are huge birds, dwarfing even the massive White Storks that were feeding alongside them. Despite their fame, these fellows were really more white than pink. They are an incredibly long lived species by the standard of birds - the oldest currently known is 70 years and counting.
Related Species:
Order: Phoenicopteriformes
Family: Phoenicopteridae
Genus: Phoenicopterus
Subspecies: none - monotypic
- Sighting Locations -
- SICILY 2018 TRIP - Seen flying over at Capo Murro di Porco and Siracusa.
SPAIN - Spanish - Flamenco ("Flamingo")
- SEVILLE 2011 TRIP: Numerous around El Rocio
Scarce but locally abundant resident where suitable habitat exists.
- MADRID 2016 TRIP: Abundant around Laguna Navaseca.
Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto
No comments:
Post a Comment