Phoeniconaias minor

(Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1798)

Vernacular names
English : Lesser flamingo
French : Flamant nain

Classification
Class : Aves
Order : Phoenicopteriformes
Family : Phoenicopteridae
Notes : No subspecies known

Identification
Smallest flamingo, reaching a length of 90 cm for a weight of 2 kg. Easily recognizable by its orange eyes and dark reddish-brown long bill. Bright red legs, plumage pink with brighter elongated feathers on back. Unmistakable.

Range and habitat
The species occurs in Africa around the Rift Valley (east Africa), in southern Africa (Botswana, Namibia, South Africa), in Senegal and in north-west India. Lives in coastal lagoons, alkaline or saline lakes with extensive mudflats.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : NEAR THREATENED
CITES : Appendix II
Status : The species has drastically declined because of pollution, loss of habitat and disturbance on breeding grounds. It remains the commonest flamingo.
Ex-Situ Programs : SSP in America

Observation
Cameron Park Zoo (USA), Zoo Surabaya (Indonesia), Zoo Ragunan (Indonesia), Jurong Bird Park (Singapore), Berlin Zoo (Germany)

 

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