There are numerous species of flamingos around the globe; these embrace the American flamingo, the higher flamingo, the Chilean flamingo and the lesser flamingo. The lesser flamingo is the species that’s primarily present in Kenya within the Nice Rift Valley area. The birds are discovered on the shores of the well-known Lake Nakuru in Lake Nakuru Nationwide park.
The lesser flamingo is characterised by vivid white and pink coloured feathers and a robust beak with a black tip.
The lake is alkaline in nature as a result of the truth that it has no outlet. The alkalinity along with the droppings from the flamingos promotes the expansion of blue-green algae. The flamingos primarily feed on the blue-green algae. They feed with their beaks positioned the other way up as they maintain their breath below water. Their beaks are nicely tailored for sifting mud and water and retaining the algae, tiny fish, shrimps and planktons which type a part of their meal. The webbed ft of the flamingos permit them to fire up shrimps, algae and planktons from the mud on the backside of the lake.
Flamingos relaxation with their ft tucked beneath their body, nonetheless a most typical view is that of a flamingo standing on one leg. Within the latter place, they’re an impressive view as they’re seen swaying forwards and backwards within the wind. With their webbed ft, they can wade in muddy waters in the hunt for meals; on the opposite hand, in a lot deeper waters the place they can not wade, they are often seen floating on the floor of the water and moving within the course of the wind Flamingo Float.
Although flamingos are non-migratory birds, they will shift to completely different places as a result of climate and Lake water-level adjustments, these adjustments result in diminished ranges of algae within the lake. The flamingos of Lake Nakuru are recognized to maneuver to Lake Bogoria, Lake Elementaita and Lake Oloiden when such adjustments happen. At Lake Bogoria, the flamingos are a assured spectacle to behold. The three lakes are situated inside the Nice Rift Valley, a number of kilometers from Nakuru city.
Other than flamingos, different chook species that inhabit the lake and its environment are the pelicans, cormorants, grebes, Goliath heron, fish eagle, and kingfisher. The Goliath heron is thought to prey on the flamingos thus their tendency to stay in giant numbers or colonies.
In an effort to view the flamingos nicely, it’s advisable to have a full days journey or two to the lake. Camping websites and lodges can be found close to lake Nakuru. Different wildlife discovered close to the lake embrace black rhinos, Rothschild giraffe and water bucks.