Andean Flamingo

Description: This specific species of flamingo is one of the rarest flamingos on earth. This flamingo has a pale pink body with almost white upper parts with a very pink neck. Surprisingly, this flamingo is the only flamingo with yellow legs and three-toed feet. Pictured below, the bill of the flamingo is solid black with a hint of pale yellow towards the top. The population of these animals is around 34,000 and is decreasing rapidly over the years. These flamingos are filter-feeders and their diet is very odd as they eat anything from algae to small fish. The reason they are filter-feeders is because of their unique bill and how the bill filters the water in order to only leave the food denser than the water in the bill (shown in third picture below).

Species Habitat and Range: The Andean Flamingo, as you could have guessed, lives in the wetlands of the Andes mountain range from Southern Peru to Argentina and Northern Chile. This animal has the ability to travel and migrate over long distances. This bird even has the ability to travel up to 700 miles in one day! During the summer time, this animal lives in the salt lakes and then moves to the lower wetlands for the winter.

Role in the Ecosystem: These animals have a great impact on the populations of aquatic algae, diatoms (which are most common types of phytoplankton), and plankton as these are their main diet. These animals do not have significant economic importance to humans but they do provide food and ecotourism to humans. Some programs profit from the appreciation of these natural areas that these animals can be viewed in. Seeing these animals in their natural habitat would be rare and would provide for some great scenery.

Cause of Decline: One of the main reasons there has been such a great decline in the population of these creatures is something called mining excavations. Mining excavations is the exposure, processing, and recording of archaeological remains. These sites are large in area and force these animals to move elsewhere. The area in which these animals live contain high doses of something called Borax. Borax is a boron compound that is very toxic to these animals but offers no harm to humans. When we go in and create these mining excavations, we release this toxin and causes skeletal malformations, cardiovascular defects and degeneration of testis. The people working at the mining site are unaffected while the animals suffer and eventually die. Also, these animals are becoming extinct due to people collecting these flamingo eggs which is illegal. This illegal hunting of the eggs has increased over time because the demand of these eggs is increasing.

Importance of these creatures: The flamingo is part of the world’s food chain and many animals would be affected one way or another. For example, the shrimp and krill’s population will increase because they will not be eaten as much. This could mean that in some lakes or lagoons there will be hundreds in them. Shrimp and krill eat plankton, therefore the population of plankton would decrease meaning the water purity would be effected. Plankton are an important part in keeping the lakes and waters clean. Just from one animal’s extinction, many things will be effected.

Current Conservation Efforts: Just recently, in 2010, was this animals declared endangered. It was stated that this animal would be protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The Flamingo Specialist Group is trying to inform the public of how quickly these animals are becoming extinct and they are trying to educate the world on how we can help. They are trying to find a way to solve the problem of egg collecting and poaching. One great way to do this, is to make people aware of this problem. One big way we can help is to not litter in any circumstance. Often times, these animals find a way to get garbage around their neck and slowly kill these animals. We are the source of the animal’s extinction and by conserving our litter, we can help save many animals. Also, we can visit various zoos that have captive breeding programs. We need to save the Andean Flamingos or many animals will be affected!