Africa, south of the equator, is a mass of new experiences and interesting creatures - furry, feathered and finned, and a Southern African Safari will fill you with awe and inspiration as you travel the countryside swathed in the unexpected luxury and hospitality of this beautiful part of the world.
Flamingos are just one of the amazingly adapted denizens that you may come across in your travels, whether you are the discovering the fine cuisine and colourful flowers of the Cape West Coast in South Africa, or exploring the depths of Etosha, Namibia, on a game drive, and these beautiful birds are every bit as interesting as their unusual appearance suggests.
Facts about flamingos
Unique in their appearance and behaviour, flamingos flourish where other creatures are loathe to tread, favoring the salty environment of East Africa’s hot soda lakes and the wetlands of the South African Coast, although they are found as far inland as Kimberley.
These birds are vital to maintaining the delicate balance of these fragile environments, enriching them with their organic waste and stirring them up as they feed on small organisms.
They eat by sieving water through their beaks, dipping their heads below the surface in a sweeping motion to trap all the tasty bits. It is believed that their varying pink colors stem from this unusual diet of shrimp and algae.
Likewise, flamingos rely on the salty marshes and coastal estuaries as breeding sites, flocking in their thousands annually to suitable spots in the northern reaches, such as Etosha and Sua Pan in Botswana, where they choose a partner for the year, lay their eggs and raise their young, before moving southward once more.
Flamingos rarely fly during the daytime and always migrate at night, travelling almost 400 miles at a rate of about 37 miles per hour.
Types of flamingo
There are only two species of flamingo - greater (Phoenicopterus roseus) and lesser flamingos (Phoenicopterus minor), and both are considered near-threatened due to their close association with the fast disappearing wetlands of southern Africa as well as other factors such as drought.
Greater flamingos are most commonly seen in southern environments such as the Cape, while lesser flamingos tend to stick to the north. If you do happen to see them side by side you will notice that the greater flamingo is larger and candyfloss-colored, while the lesser flamingo sports brighter pink plumage.
Travel with us to see how these familiar birds have adapted to life on the salt pans of Africa.
