An adult flamingo stands with flamingo chicks in an enclosure before they are tagged in Fuente de Piedra lake on July 19, 2014 in Fuente de Piedra, Spain. Credit: Getty Images
An adult flamingo stands out with its pink coat, surrounded by chicks in Spain’s Fuente de Piedra lagoon.
The nature reserve – home to 170 different bird species – is one of the main breeding grounds for flamingos in the Iberian Peninsula. Hundreds of flamingo chicks are tagged to record the evolution of the species.
Expert’s viewpoint
“The breeding population of flamingos in this Andalusian wetland is about 7,000 couples and 6,000 chicks,” says Ricardo Dominguez, Deputy Minister of Environment in the Junta de Andalucía.
Some 430 volunteers took part in the tagging and recording of new flamingo
chicks in the nature reserve. Credit: Getty Images
Flamingo facts
Pinkish coat. The pigment beta-carotene in their diet from algae and shrimp gives them their famous color.
How they find a mate. Courtship rituals include neck stretching, synchronized dancing, and honking.
Body temperature regulation. Flamingos stand on one leg while resting to conserve body heat.
By the numbers: 600
There were 600 tagged and measured before being placed in the lagoon. The Fuente de Piedra colony of flamingos is one of the largest in Europe.
