Flamingos in the Vredefort Dome

Flamingos occurred naturally in the wild in Africa, Europe, South America, the Caribbean and Galapagos Islands.
Six species of these rather large birds are found worldwide. Two species occur in Africa, Europe and Asia and the same two species can also be seen in South Africa. They coexist well in the same water, because they feed at different levels.
The greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) and the Lesser Flamingo (Phoenicopterus minor), are species we can also, at times, observe in the Vredefort Dome area. See the photographs that was taken recently at the Vredefort dam. Sixty birds, 52 Greater and 8 Lesser Flamingos were counted on the dam on 9 August 2016 and they have been there for quite some time.
Flamingos are highly gregarious and form large flocks at water bodies where they feed. They are also nomadic and movements take place mostly at night, but they do sometimes fly during the day between water bodies, Flocks fly in large v-shape formations from one location to the next. They are unmistakable in flight with their long outstretched necks in front and their long legs outstretched behind their bodies. Their movement between water bodies depend upon the availability of their favourite food in the water.
The Greater Flamingo is the most widespread of all flamingos and the Lesser Flamingo is the most numerous. Although the Greater Flamingo is larger than the Lesser one, it is not easy for the inexperienced bird watcher to tell the difference if the two species are not seen together. Apart from the size of the birds, the colour of the bill is the most prominent feature to distinguish between the two species.
The Greater Flamingo has a pale pink bill with a black tip and the Lesser Flamingo has a dark maroon bill (see photographs).Their remarkable bills are sharply decurved about halfway down the length. Compared to body size, flamingos have the longest necks and legs of all birds on Earth.
Although the Lesser Flamingo is the smallest of the flamingo species, it is still by most standards, a tall and large bird that can weigh 1.2 – 2.7kg and stands 80 – 90cm tall with a wingspan of 90 – 120cm. It has a red eye. The wings are red and black in flight. Most of the plumage of the Lesser Flamingo is pinkish-white to deep pink, giving the impression of a mass of pink when you see a large flock of these birds together on a pan or a dam. The Greater Flamingo can weigh between 2.6 and 3.5kg and stands 145 – 165cm tall, with a wingspan of 150 – 169cm. It has a yellow eye. The body plumage of the Greater Flamingo is overall pale pink, sometimes almost appearing white. In flight it shows conspicuous crimson red and black wings. Flamingos can live quite long. There is record of birds living as long as 50 years in captivity.
Flamingos have rather unusual feeding habits. They wade in water up to belly height (Greater) and shallower water (Lesser), with their bills upside down. T
hey feed on small invertebrates and algae in brack and salty water and mud. The Greater Flamingo is a bottom feeder and they are often seen upended in deep water to eat prey like molluscs, crustacea and organic material. The Lesser Flamingo is an algae and diatoms specialist in the uppermost layer of water and feeds regularly at night. While feeding they can keep their heads totally submerged for long periods of time.
Flamingos are monogamous breeders, but they do change mates between breeding seasons. Their breeding season may vary depending on water condition and food supply.
They are also colonial nesters and breeding pairs form colonies with hundreds to thousands of nests. The nest is a mound built with mud by both sexes, 15 to 45cm high with a slight hollow on top. A single chalk-white egg is laid. Incubation is 27 – 31 days and is performed by both members of the breeding pair. After hatching the chick eats its own eggshell and is also fed a glandular secretion by the parents. Small chicks are fed on the nest by parents carefully dripping secretion into the open bill of the chick from above, bills touching.
Chicks are white and juveniles are grey. Soon after hatching, 5 – 10 days, the chicks leave the nest and join large crèches. At hatching the parents keep trumpeting high-pitched calls to achieve the essential imprinting of both chicks and adults on each other. In the crèches that are formed, the imprinted chick can then answer the parent’s call to be fed. Young birds start to flap their wings at 60 – 70 days and fly at 75 – 80 days.