Flamingo in 1850s: Lake Natron notes
[32] [flamingo-1-32] In 1850s, the field log for Flamingo is headed “Lake Natron notes.” The figure kept beside that heading is 6. It is a count or a date from the work, not a rank of the species’ worth. A zoo birthday card does not replace the log. What is the Camargue’s role in Europe?
Long-legged filter feeders whose bent bills and carotenoid diets turn alkaline lakes into pink cities. Dietary carotenoids from brine shrimp and cyanobacteria deposit in feathers. A white flamingo is usually a diet or age story, not a different species. The bird feeds with the head inverted. The upper jaw is the mobile filter; lamellae comb a soup of algae and invertebrates.
Are lesser flamingos the East African pink clouds? Yes. Phoeniconaias minor can number more than a million on Rift soda lakes when Arthrospira blooms. Breeding still hinges on sites like Lake Natron. Salt pans and Tour du Valat management rebuilt a greater flamingo colony that now seeds Mediterranean satellites.
Do American flamingos still belong in Florida? A breeding population has returned to Florida Bay after a long absence. Some birds are escapees; others are wild Caribbean wanderers — the mix is a current field argument. Why do Andean flamingos look more at risk? High-Andean salars face lithium and water extraction. Three highland species share a small set of lakes.
Keep 1850s, “Lake Natron notes,” and 6 together or the note on Flamingo stops being that year’s record.1850s
Figures to keep
- Year of the note
- 1850s
- Figure to keep
- 6
- Species
- Flamingo
- Line in the log
- Lake Natron notes
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