Greater Flamingo

Phoenicopterus roseus (Pallas, 1811)

		adult and juvenile
2009-09-27 Zhumai settlement, Korgalzhyn region, Akmola oblast	© Timur Iskakov

Distribution

Irregularly breeds in Central Kazakhstan (Zhamanakkol, Chelkar-Teniz, Aschitastysor, Tengiz lakes), and also on Caspian Sea on Mertvy Kultuk gulf. On dispersal and migration it occurs very widely in plains, occasionally in foothills of Western Tien Shan (20 October 1973, 9 birds).

Biology

Rare breeding migrant. Nests on the very salty and shallow lakes where there is the Brine Shrimp (Artemia salina) which is the basic food for the Flamingos. In spring appears in the end of March – late April in small groups or in flocks of 100-600 birds. Migration ends in mid-end May with arriving of immature birds. Breeds in colonies from 50 to 30 000 pairs. Cone-shaped nests 7-60 cm in height are constructed from the mud which is surrounded the colony and which is consist of salty silt, sand and seaweed, but sometimes eggs are laid directly on sand even without nest hollow. Clutch of 2-3, rarer 1 egg, is produced in early May to end of June. Juveniles begin to fly in August – early September. Autumn migration passes in September – October. Odd birds linger until the freezing of reservoirs. Birds breeding in Kazakhstan (Tengiz lake) and in Iran (Urmia lake) are formed the one population; the juveniles ringed in Iran in next years were regularly observed on moulting on Tengiz lake.

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999. В.К.Рябицев. "Птицы Урала, Приуралья и Западной Сибири". Екатеринбург. Изд-во Уральского университета, 2000.