Andean Flamingo

Andean Flamingo ( Phoenicoparrus andinus )

The Andean Flamingo ( Phoenicoparrus andinus ) or Gelbfußflamingo is a species of bird in the order of the flamingos and the same family.

Description

The Andean flamingo reaches a height 102-110 cm. Head, neck and wings are pink, the rest of the plumage pale pink to white, the black wing tips. The tail feathers forming a characteristic black triangle, by the Andean flamingo very good living from the other two in South America flamingo species, is to distinguish the Chilean Flamingo and the James flamingo. The beak is pale yellow at the base and towards the tip black. The legs of the Andean flamingos are yellow. The three forward-facing toes are interconnected by webs. Young birds are distinguished by a gray plumage with striking strip at the top of the wings.

Occurrence

The decreasing population of an estimated 34,000 copies in 1997, lives in an approximately 189,000 km ² area of the high Andes in southern Peru and especially the southwest of Bolivia and northeastern Chile. In El Niño years, he is also spotted in northern Argentina. The Andean flamingo moves nomads to the local salt lakes between 2,200 m ( Salar de Atacama ) and 4500 m above sea level. NN ( Bolivian high plateau ).

Way of life

The Andean Flamingo is in the Andes to the Chilean Flamingo mixed groups. The only egg per breeding season puts the couple in the summer of the southern hemisphere from December to February. During incubation, which consists of a mound nest is constantly being repaired. The young bird has a white Dunenkleid and even a straight beak. It is fed by the parent birds with the crop milk that contains fat, protein, carbs, red pigments and blood cells. Once the young birds leave the nest, they form groups of children who are cared for alternately by the adult birds. Like all flamingos flies the Andean flamingo with neck outstretched. Its call is a goose -like trumpets.