The A - Z April Challenge: F ...and Weekend Reflections

F is for Flamingo

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Standing on the edge of a lake
that’s ablaze with pink from
thousands of Lesser Flamingos
 is truly one of the most
vibrant things one might
 ever hope to see. There is
constant movement and
noise as birds land
and take off again…squawk
loudly to one another…and
poke about eagerly
 for food at water’s edge.

These beautiful creatures reside principally in Africa’s Great Rift Valley. We saw large flocks both at Lake Nakuru in Kenya, and again at Tanzania’s Lake Manyara National Park.

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Lesser Flamingos are

small and feed primarily

on Spirulina, a

blue-green algae that grows

only in highly alkaline lakes and synthesizes to give them

their pink colour. Shrimp

are a further source of

food for them.

The principal breeding ground they all return to is the caustic Lake Natron in northern Tanzania. As is the case with so many species, African flamingos are classified as near-threatened due to human encroachment that pollutes their lakes and robs them of nesting sites. Heavy metal poisoning from nearby factories is the suspected pollutant at some of these lakes.

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Although numerous at present, flamingo numbers will continue to decline if preventative measures are not put in place…

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For more A - Z posts, be sure to pop by Arlee Bird's site and see what others have done with the letter F...
.http://www.tossingitout.blogspot.com/2011/01/very-special-and-exciting
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I am also linking to Weekend Reflections hosted by James at Newton Area Photo. Do stop by for more fun reflections...
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http://newtowndailyphoto.blogspot.com/