![]() ![]() Travelling to South Africa? We make it easy for you to plan your trip online. ![]() Birders from around the world come to South Africa to experience the great variety of typically African birds, migrants, endangered, and endemic birds.Life Expectancyįew natural predators but eggs are taken by other birds including marabou stork. After about a week, the chick leaves the nest to join a 'creche' (creches are nurseries that are watched over by a few adults). The Greater Flamingo lays a single egg which is incubated by both parents for 27 to 31 days. ( Kamfers Dam near Kimberley is the only nesting site for lesser flamingos in the country and one of only six breeding areas for the birds in the world). Greater Flamingos nest in large colonies on large water bodies, but require very specific conditions before they will attempt to breed. They usually migrate at night, flying with outstretched necks and legs.įlamingos perform spectacular group courtship displays, involving synchronised wing-raising, ritualised preening, and 'head-flagging', raising the neck and beak and turning the head from side to side. Most of the flamingo's day is spent filter feeding in shallow water. The flamingos have a unique communal display, consisting of flapping, posturing, preening and make quite a bit of noise. These are highly gregarious birds and will not breed unless in large numbers. DietĪlgae, protozoa, aquatic plants, diatoms, worms, insect larvae, small molluscs and crustaceans. In South Africa, you can see these elegant birds at Kamfers Dam near Kimberley, Rietvlei Nature Reserve (between Pretoria and Johannesburg), the West Coast National Park (an hour or so from Cape Town), and Schuinsdraai Nature Reserve near Tzaneen in Limpopo. Widely distributed from southern Europe to India and the east and south of the African continent. They prefer water which is slightly saline, hence their preference for inland lakes without much drainage. Greater Flamingos are found on large bodies of shallow water, such as lakes, dams, estuaries and salt pans. The nearly dry bolus of food is drawn into the back of the mouth to be swallowed at the same time the next mouthful of water is drawn in. Their thick fleshy tongues acts as a plunger to suck the water and food into the mouth, and then forcing just the water back out. Greater Flamingos spend most of the day standing in shallow water with their head down filtering the water through the sieve-like lamellae of their beaks. They have a very specialized feeding process. Usually seen in large flocks, wading slowing through shallow water and sometimes seen swimming in deeper water. Greater Flamingos are are highly nomadic birds and their presence usually depends on suitable water conditions. Did you know? The name 'Flamingo' comes from the latin word for flame. The eyes are yellow, and there is pink skin between the eyes and the bill. It is pink with a broad black tip (the Lesser Flamingo has a dark reddish-black bill). The bill is deep and turned sharply downwards after about two thirds of its length. ![]() In flight however, they are clearly visible and contrast with the black flight feathers of the wings. The wing coverts are bright salmon pink but are often hidden beneath the feathers on the back when the bird is feeding. The Greater Flamingo is a large, very slender, pale pink or white bird with long legs and a long neck. Phoenicopterus roseus - The Greater Flamingo ![]()
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