Lesser Flamingo

Phoeniconaias minor

Other Pics: Lesser Flamingoes in flight

Other Names

    Flamant nain, Petit Flamant   Zwergflamingo   Flamenco Enano   Mindre flamingo   Kleine Flamingo   Fenicottero Minore

World: Widely distributed through eastern, central and southern Africa as well as Pakistan and nw India.

Kenya: Found in vast numbers on the Rift Valley lakes, particularly those which are relatively shallow and with closed drainage.

The Lesser Flamingo rarely ranges far from the soda lakes probably because its diet is primarily Spirulina, a blue-green algae which is found in the shallows of the alkaline lakes. Smaller than the Greater Flamingo , with which it is frequently associated, the Lesser can be easily distinguished by its deep red, black-tipped bill.

At certain times of the year the birds are present in such vast numbers that, from high above the lakes, it looks as though the shore-line is composed of a broad bright pink band of sand.

In early 2000 there were a significant number of deaths among the lesser flamingo population at Lake Bogoria. There are reports about what happened and the possible causes by the BBC

More information about the Lesser Flamingo can be found at Oakland Zoo (includes some video and sound clips) and Rift Valley Shuffle.