Lesser flamingo
Lesser flamingo | |
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At Lake Nakuru, Kenya | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Phoenicopteriformes |
Family: | Phoenicopteridae |
Genus: | Phoeniconaias |
Species: | P. minor
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Binomial name | |
Phoeniconaias minor (Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, É, 1798)
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Synonyms | |
The lesser flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor) is a
Characteristics
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 (from beak 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 the greater 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 species Phoeniconaias proeses in the same genus, from the Pliocene 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 on
Predators
Lesser flamingos are prey to a variety of species, including
Breeding
In Africa, where they are most common, the lesser flamingos breed principally on the highly
The species also breeds in southwestern and southern Asia. In 1974, they bred at the Rann of Kutch, but since then, only at the Zinzuwadia and Purabcheria salt pans in northwestern India.[14][4] Some movement of individuals occurs between Africa and India.[15]
Like all flamingos, they lay a single chalky-white
Threats
Despite being the most common species of flamingo, it is classified as
The population in the two key East African lakes, Lake Nakuru and Lake Bogoria, have been adversely affected in recent years by suspected heavy metal poisoning, while its primary African breeding area in Lake Natron is currently under threat by a proposed soda ash plant by Tata Chemicals.[17] The only breeding site in South Africa, situated at Kamfers 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]
References
- ^ . Retrieved 27 January 2022.
- ^ Geoffroy, C. (1798). "Sur une nouvelle espèce de Phœnicoptère ou Flammant". Bulletin des sciences par la Société philomathique. 1 (15).
- .
- ^ a b Manakadan, R. & Khan, A. N. (2020). "Birds of the Indian Subcontinent – In a Nutshell". Buceros. 24 (Special Issue 2 & 3): 1–79.
- ^ "Lesser flamingo - Phoeniconaias minor - ARKive". www.arkive.org. Archived from the original on 14 May 2009. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
- ^ a b "FLAMINGOS - Physical Characteristics". Archived from the original on 2012-07-10. Retrieved 2012-07-23.
- ^ "Home | San Diego Zoo Animals & Plants".
- ISBN 0-19-563731-3.
- JSTOR 1365355.
- ^ a b "Phoeniconaias minor (Lesser flamingo)". Animal Diversity Web.
- ^ a b Del Hoyo, Josep; Boesman, Peter F. D.; Garcia, Ernest; Kirwan, Guy M. (2020). "Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor), version 1.0". Birds of the World.
- ^ DiBuono, L. 2017. "Phoeniconaias minor" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed March 05, 2021 at https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Phoeniconaias_minor/
- ^ "Lesser Flamingo". Oakland Zoo. 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
- ^ a b Anderson, M. D. (2008). "A Vision in Pink, Lesser Flamingo Breeding Success". Africa - Birds & Birding. 13 (2): 42–49.
- S2CID 86056411.
- ^ Anderson, M. D. "Save the Flamingo". Retrieved 2008-08-20.
- ^ "TA-TA to Lake Natron's flamingos". Africa - Birds & Birding. 12 (4): 16. 2007.
- ^ Macleod, F. (2008). "Flamingo row: Officials 'under house arrest'". Mail&Guardian. Retrieved 2008-08-20.
- .
External links
- Flamingo Resource Centre - a collection of resources and information related to flamingos
- ARKive - Images and movies of the lesser flamingo (Phoenicopterus minor)
- Lesser Flamingo - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds.
- Save the Flamingo - A site dedicated to the conservation of the South African breeding colony