The pink color of Lake Nakuru. Nakuru – the unique pink flamingo lake
Lake Turkana, or as it is also called Lake Rudolph, is an amazing endorheic body of water in the Great Rift Valley in the eastern part of the African continent.
Standing on its shore, you will be sure that you are on the sea coast. The sandy beach and waves attract the eye. Fierce winds blow, and fishing boats rock nearby, ready to go fishing.
The lake is filled with turquoise water, which is why locals call it the “Jade Sea”. But still this is not a sea, but a large lake. Turkana is the world's largest dry desert lake. In addition, it is the largest alkaline lake on the planet, covering an area of about 8500 km 2.
The water from the lake can be drunk, but it does not taste very pleasant due to the increased salinity.
Don't miss information about the unique Pink Lake Retba in Senegal. It is almost impossible to drown in it, since its salinity is even higher than in the Dead Sea.
Where is Lake Turkana
The lake is located in the northern part of the Rift Valley, on the border of Ethiopia and Kenya. But in fact, more than 95% of the reservoir lies in northern Kenya and only a small part in Ethiopia. The lake is fed by three rivers: Omo, Turkvel and Kerio. The most significant contribution to the filling of the lake is made by the Omo River (more than 90%), originating in Ethiopia.
Lake Turkana in numbers
Lake Turkana, stretched from north to south, extends 250 kilometers in length and reaches 44 kilometers in width. According to scientists, between four and eight thousand years ago the lake stretched for more than 400 kilometers. During this period, a river flowed out of it, which then flowed into the Nile. Now it is a completely drainless lake.
It is worth noting that water is used only for evaporation. The volume and size of the lake are variable. For example, its level fell by 10 meters between 1975 and 1993, so the figures below may vary.
- Catchment area -130,860 km 2
- The area of the water surface is about 8500 km 2
- Average depth - 30.2 meters
- Maximum depth – 109 meters (according to other sources 73 meters)
- The lake lies at an altitude of 360 meters above sea level
- The volume of water is estimated at 203 km 3
- Salinity – 2.44%
History of the discovery and name of the lake
Naturally, local residents have known about the lake for a long time (it’s hard not to notice). But it became known to Europeans only in 1888. Then a traveler from Hungary, Samuel Teleki, and his Austrian friend Ludwig von Hönel discovered this huge lake and named it Rudolf, in honor of the Prince of Austria.
Explorer John Walter Gregory reports in an 1894 geographical journal that the lake is called "Basso Narok", meaning "Black Lake" in the language of the local Samburu tribe. This tribe was one of the dominant ones in the region.
The lake retained its European name Rudolf during the British colonization of eastern Africa. After Kenya became independent, in 1975, President Mze Jomo Kenyatta decreed that the lake be named Turkana, after the powerful tribe living in its surroundings.
Nature of Lake Turkana
The lake is famous for the largest population of Nile crocodiles and hippos on the planet. There are about 14,000 crocodiles alone. Moreover, there are specimens more than 5 meters long.
Scorpions and carpet vipers live on the rocky shores.
Hundreds of bird species live in these places. Add to this the hundreds of species of migratory birds that periodically appear here.
Compared to other large African lakes, Turkana has relatively few fish species; The lake is inhabited by about 50 species, including 12 endemics.
The abundance of plankton provides food for both birds and fish.
The lake also has a large population of large aquatic turtles, especially in the Central Island area.
Islands of Lake Turkana
The lake has several islands of volcanic origin. We will look at the three main and largest (the rest are quite modest in size).
North Island
Located in the northern part of the lake. Its dimensions are approximately 1.5 by 2 kilometers.
Central (or crocodile) island
Approximately in the center of the reservoir lies the Central Island. Its dimensions are 2.5 by 2.8 km.
It is often called Crocodile island. This name is not accidental. It is this island that is abundantly inhabited by crocodiles. In addition to them, there is an impressive population of large turtles.
It is noteworthy that there are as many as 3 lakes on the Central Island, and the island itself is actually an active volcano, periodically releasing steam. The lakes on the island are slightly different in color from each other. They resemble the famous colorful lakes of Kelimutu on the island of Flores in Indonesia.
South Island
In the southern part of the lake, you guessed it, there is... South Island. This is the largest island in the water area (dimensions 11 by 5.1 km). And the “youngest” one. There is still increased volcanic activity here. The territory of the island is protected and is the South Island National Park.
Locals call it South Island.
Archaeological finds
Millions of years ago, a more humid climate prevailed here. The area of the lake was much larger, and its coast was more fertile. Large animals lived here, including elephants, giraffes, hippos, wild boars and antelopes.
A large number of important archaeological finds have been made in the lake area. The most famous and significant discoveries include the discovery of Richard Leakey. In 1972, he discovered the skull of the oldest human ancestor, Homo habilis. Its age is estimated to range from 1.4 to 2 million years.
In 1984, the same researcher found a well-preserved skeleton of the so-called Turkana boy. It is classified as Homo erectus or Homo ergaster, and the age of the find is about 1.6 million years.
In 1994, the remains of more than 20 individuals of the presumably Australopithecus anamensis species were discovered. The analyzes established that their age is from 3.9 to 4.2 million years.
In addition, on the western coast of the lake, archaeologists discovered the most ancient stone tools, about 3.3 million years old. They are as much as 700 thousand years older than the tools found in Ethiopia.
Are you interested in archaeology? Then you need to read about Petralona Cave in Greece. Scientists have also found a lot of interesting things there.
Threat to Lake Turkana
Now the ecosystem of the reservoir is threatened by an environmental disaster. Ethiopia plans to build Gibe 3 Dam on the upper Omo River. If the project ends, the lake may begin to dry up. It is possible that the fate of the Aral Sea awaits him.
Today, more than a quarter of a million local residents, belonging to about a dozen tribes, live in the vicinity of the lake. The vast majority of them are closely connected with the lake and practically depend on it. It promotes the development of agriculture, livestock farming and fishing. People could lose all this if the dam is built.
Kenya's Lake Nakuru is one of the lakes of the East African Rift Valley, containing a unique, pristine natural world. In addition, it is considered one of the most beautiful and vibrant places on the continent. The lake, lying at an altitude of 1754 m above sea level, is located south-west of the city of Nakuru, in the Rift Valley of Kenya and is protected by the Lake Nakuru National Park. The area of the reservoir is about 40 km², and the maximum depth is about 3 m. It is fed by the waters of two large rivers - Nyiro and Nderit. Translated from the Maasai language, "nakuru" means "dusty place" or "dust".
Once upon a time there was a large freshwater reservoir here. About 10 thousand years ago, the climate in this region became drier, as a result of which the reservoir became shallow and divided into three lakes: Naivasha, Elmenteita and Nakuru. Over time, hot volcanic springs filled the reservoir with soda, which made its waters quite caustic. In addition, not a single large river flows from the lake, and the water level depends only on the amount of precipitation, the rate of evaporation and the influx of water from seasonal springs. All these factors classify Nakuru as a hypersaline lake, which makes it not a particularly favorable place for the development of life.
Living organisms that were able to take root in this rather aggressive environment include six species of phytoplankton, several species of zooplankton, one species of fish and small crustaceans. The small blue-green algae Spirulina platensis lives here in enormous quantities, turning the local waters dark green and making them sticky and thick. It is the algae that attracts a huge number of flamingos - small and large - to this area. The lake and surrounding area are famous not only for the abundance of these beautiful birds, but also for more than 400 species of other birds.
There are more small flamingos than their larger representatives - for one large there are 200 small individuals. Despite this difference in numbers, the birds get along very well with each other, like members of the same family, and do not even compete for food, since they feed on different types of food.
The most numerous birds found in the park, the lesser flamingos, are distinguished by their deep purple beak, rich variety of pink plumage (from light pink to dark pink) and purplish-red wings. This characteristic color is given to birds by beta-carotene, which is contained in their favorite delicacy - spirulina algae. Small flamingos are most active at night, and during the day they prefer to rest, standing on one leg. Food is obtained in the upper layers of the reservoir, immersing only part of the beak in the water. Scientists estimate that the flamingos inhabiting Nakuru annually consume about 250 thousand kg of algae per hectare of surface area.
Millions and sometimes two million flocks of flamingos border the shores of the lake with a bright pink carpet; they descend and rise along the shoreline, creating bizarre living patterns of various shades of purple. Ornithologists claim that this is the greatest ornithological spectacle in the world. During the year, their number varies depending on the water level in the lake and food. Also found here are herons, yellow-billed stork, screech eagle, great white pelican, cormorant and African fish eagle. During peak season, pelican numbers can reach half a million. Every year, the territory of Lake Nakuru becomes a haven for migratory birds from Eurasia, which rest here on their way to the south or stay for the winter.
Flamingos are graceful, long-legged birds, recognized as one of the most beautiful on the planet. It was this fact that began to attract a large number of scientists and tourists to Nakuru. In order to protect this virgin area, in 1957 the lake was taken under protection, and in 1960 its southern coast was declared a reserve of small flamingos. A year later, the reservoir received the status of a Kenya National Park.
The area around the lake is famous for its unusually picturesque landscapes: the coastal areas are densely covered with yellowbark acacia forests, behind them stretch endless emerald fields and mountain ranges, in the eastern part of the park there is the largest milkweed forest in Africa, and the extinct Menengai volcano rises above the park.
In addition to flamingos, the park is home to about 56 species of mammals, including warthogs, zebras, hippos, lions, waterbucks, antelopes, leopards, buffalos, Thompson's gazelles, olive baboons and the rare Rothschild's giraffes, which were moved here in 1977 for conservation purposes. a species on the verge of extinction. Also in the national park is the oldest rhino nursery in Kenya - the Naishi Nature Reserve, which was founded in 1984. Today it is home to 60 black and 40 white rhinos. Here, zoologists are working to revive the endangered black rhinoceros population. In the forest you can see huge pythons crawling across the road right in front of tourists or simply hanging spectacularly from the trees. The world of flora is also particularly diverse - about 550 plant species grow in the park.
Today Lake Nakuru, along with its beautiful feathered inhabitants, is under threat. The main problems of its existence are pollution from domestic and industrial wastes of the city of Nakuru, a decrease in the level of the lake, which is sensitive to climate conditions, and a large population of mammals that pose a threat to the life of flamingos. Several times the water in the lake almost dried up, which led to a change in the composition of blue-green algae. Safe species have been replaced by poisonous ones, which lead to the death of birds.
Another major threat to the lake is the drying up of rivers due to active deforestation of the Mau. Unless certain measures are taken to restore the forest soon, the unique ecosystem of Lake Nakuru will never be the same again. It is for this reason that specialists in the protection of natural areas are making every effort to ensure that these truly unique places exist for as long as possible. The ecological state of the area is under constant monitoring, and methods are also being developed to stop the bloom of the water surface in the lake.
Nakuru is located 157 km northwest of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. The distance between the cities can be covered by car or by plane, which can land right in the park, since it has its own runway. The entrance to Lake Nakuru National Park is located on the southern side of Nakuru town.
The safari continues!
The front hoof follows the back (African folk wisdom)
Here comes Kenya! Yesterday, after lunch, leaving the Ugandan Jinja, we overcame the fussy and confused Ugandan-Kenyan border and reached our overnight stay in the Kenyan town of Eldoret.
Early morning. Behind the expedition minibus, the picturesque landscapes of the Rift Valley fly by, which crosses the whole of Kenya from north to south.
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Here's an interesting story: we are driving along a rift - a depression in the earth's crust, a kind of constantly widening crack between parts diverging to the sides. The process of expansion continues, the territory in the middle is lowered, after some time East Africa will break away from the continent and begin to drift towards the Arabian Peninsula. The wait is not long, just a few million years. Maybe 3-4 million. Then the fault (6000 km long, stretches from the Dead Sea in the Middle East to Mozambique), which is the surface boundary between the African and Arabian lithospheric plates, will reach their bottom.
East Africa will inevitably turn into an island and collide with the Arabian Peninsula, which will cause violent tectonic processes. Here comes the end of the world!
Let's wait, we have nowhere to rush. In the meantime, let's admire the scenery.
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The Rift Valley is not only picturesque, but also fertile, with villages following one another. The higher standard of living compared to neighboring Uganda is clearly visible. Half a century has passed since independence (December 1962). All this time, Kenya has been an exemplary African state. A bloody dictator is in Uganda, protracted wars are in Sudan or Somalia, hunger and deprivation are in the north, in Ethiopia, a controversial social experiment is to the south, in Tanzania. All this happened over the past fifty years, but not in Kenya, but among its neighbors in the region. As a result, socio-economic indicators are quite high by African standards, while there is no oil or diamonds in Kenya. And there is tea, coffee and tourism.
This East African country is perhaps the very first safari destination - a destination that welcomes millions every year. No, of course there are many problems in Kenya: this country is multi-ethnic and multi-religious. Conflicts are constant and regular. There are contradictions between the Bantu ethnic group and the Nilotic peoples, between pastoralists and farmers, and, as usual, between Christians and Muslims. Yes, just recently, remember, the mass riots of 2007-2008, when the Kikuyu ethnic group opposed the Luo ethnic group, disputed the results of the last presidential elections. Several thousand people died then, and then it took many years to restore the flow of tourists. Or the terrorist attack of September 21, 2013, when Islamist militants attacked the Westgate Mall in Nairobi.
All this happened, but compared to its neighbors, the political situation in Kenya looks very optimistic. That's why we're here, and now we're going to see the flamingos.
Lake Nakuru National Park - a huge open-air “zoo”
Small birds flock together (African folk wisdom)
Only two days were allotted for Kenya, that was the plan. Early in the morning, along a good highway, cover the distance from the city of Eldored to the city of Nakuru (200 kilometers).
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After checking into a hotel in the city of Nakuru, after lunch, go on a safari to the national park of the same name, located almost outside the city limits. The next day, move to Amboseli National Park, stay overnight in one of the lodges on its territory, and take evening and morning safaris in this park. By the end of the second day, try to cross the Kenyan-Tanzanian border and get to the Tanzanian city of Arusha. Agree, it’s a very good program and very rich.
I don’t know why, but the city of Nakuru is very popular among the local elite, even the president of the country has a dacha here. This city did not seem beautiful to me, an ordinary African town with an inexpressive main street flowing into a bustling market and bus station.
There are many tourists here who use this village as a gathering place before going on safari to Lake Nakuru National Park and other rift lakes. But I answered my own question: people don’t come here for the city. Lake Nakuru National Park is one of the best in East Africa and a must visit if you make it to Kenya.
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The territory of Lake Nakuru National Park is relatively small (188 sq. km) on which an incredible number of different representatives of African flora and fauna are concentrated. Lake Nakuru itself is a shallow body of salt water, sometimes turning into a swamp.
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It lies in a basin, surrounded on all sides by fairly high cliffs. The landscape of the national park is picturesque, consisting of an alternation of marshy areas, meadows, large areas of savannah and forest thickets.
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The water in the lake (originally fresh) has a high concentration of salt. Numerous volcanic springs in the depths of Lake Nakuru are to blame for this. It was they who saturated the lake with salt for several centuries.
Only some types of algae and small crustaceans were able to adapt to the harsh living conditions in salt water. They have become the favorite food of small flamingos, of which much more live on Lake Nakuru than in any other corner of the planet. This is how I smoothly led to the main attraction of Lake Nakuru National Park. But no, pink flamingos will have to wait for now. It's time to talk about zebras.
We study and love the nature of East Africa. Zebra
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I don’t know why, but there are no zebras in Uganda, at least not in Murchison National Park. But further, in the national parks of Kenya and Tanzania there are millions of them. If you don’t want to remember, they will remind you of themselves.
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Immediately a question for filling. What color is a zebra? Maybe the animal is white, with black stripes, or maybe black, with white stripes?
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It seems to me that the dominant color is still black. We are in Africa, even the people here are black. But I don’t insist on my opinion, I leave the question open.
And here’s another controversial point. The explanation that the stripes are a kind of camouflage does not seem very logical. They say that the zebra visually merges with the hot, trembling air of the savannah, thereby disorienting the predators. Yes, it seems that everything is just the opposite, such bright colors only attract the attention of the villains.
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But no, even grandfather Marshak claims that “striped horses, African horses, it’s good for you to play hide and seek. In a meadow among the grass! What kind of hide and seek are they, just walking targets.
The fact that zebra stripes camouflage themselves from horseflies and Tsetse flies is already closer to the truth. The flashing of black and white stripes confuses the bloodsuckers (if, of course, they have any sense) and they already perceive the zebra as an inedible object. Seems logical.
But I especially like the idea that zebra stripes carry out thermoregulation of the animal’s body and are capable of cooling the body. They explain it this way: areas of the body heat up differently: white areas are weaker, black areas are stronger. The difference in temperature causes microcirculation of air currents near the animal, which helps the zebra live under the scorching sun. The scientific approach is obvious, and I, with my materialistic attitude to life, like it.
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But here again there are some confusion. Why, for example, is the wildebeest not striped, why is it not hot?
How many zebras are there in Africa? There are numerous herds everywhere. By the way, about herds, each has its own leader, this is an adult stallion. Its remaining members are females of different ages and young of both sexes. But the most interesting thing is that the head of the herd is the oldest mare. When males reach the age of 1-3 years, they are expelled from the herd.
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They have a choice: either create your own herd or live alone.
In the life of zebras, all the main stages pass much faster than in our human life. Well, look, stallions reach sexual maturity by 3 years, mares are capable of fertilization at 2-2.5 years. We are small children at this age. The ability to fertilize in female zebras remains until 16-18 years of age. But for us, on the contrary, everything is just beginning these years. Or here’s another thing: the baby (he is born red-brown) gets to his feet 10 - 15 minutes after birth, takes independent steps after another 5 minutes, and after another half an hour is able to walk a decent distance.
At first, the baby feeds on its mother's milk (surprisingly, it is pink), but after two weeks it switches to pasture.
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That's how fast it all is. What to do? In the wild, the average life expectancy of zebras is 20-30 years.
We study and love the nature of East Africa. Lesser flamingo
People go to Lake Nakuru National Park to watch flamingos. In some periods their population reaches two million. I saw other people’s photographs of this miracle: from a distance, the waters of Lake Nakuru seem pink - behind hundreds of thousands of birds walking in the lake’s shallow waters, the water is not visible. It is a special delight for the observer to wait for the moment the flock takes off; they say the effect is amazing.
Alas, flamingos are capricious birds. The level of salinity of the lake has changed (a lot of rain or, conversely, drought), and after it the amount of algae that they feed on and that’s it - we fly to the neighboring lake.
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We arrived at Lake Nakuru at not the most “fat” times. After driving along the dirt road along the lake, in one place we received permission from the ranger to get out of the car and come closer to the shore.
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You can’t get to the shore itself; there is a risk of getting stuck in silt or a thick layer of guano. And the surrounding smell is never Victoria's Secret perfume.
Here they are pink flamingos.
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Not two million, of course, but still. The lesser flamingo lives within the East African Rift Valley. This is the smallest and most numerous species of flamingo.
I thought that the official name of the species was pink flamingo: after all, the color of the plumage of adult birds varies from whitish-pink to dark pink.
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But no, this coloring is not genetic, but is caused by a special pigment that enters the body with food. If birds are not fed foods containing this pigment, they will quickly lose all shades of pink and become simply white.
Their diet is quite limited, mainly microscopic algae, but if they are deficient, they can also switch to small invertebrates. Flamingos wash down their food with water, maybe salty water, spring water, or rain water.
As you might guess, flamingos are social birds, their colonies are numerous, hundreds of thousands of pairs. What’s interesting is that their reproductive instincts (let’s be tactful and call it that) only work in conditions of mass participation.
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Well, they don’t want to reproduce when there are no numerous brothers around. Do you know how zoos get out of this situation? Mirrors are installed at the boundaries of the enclosures.
The sexual quirks in the behavior of flamingos do not end there. Group dancing is important in their mating behavior. Even a few months before mating, they excite themselves with characteristic poses and movements, in which hundreds and even thousands of birds simultaneously take part. So together they stimulate their sex hormones and the result is obvious: flamingos reproduce very successfully. They don't seem to be in danger of extinction.
In addition, there are not many natural enemies in nature - their habitats are not very suitable for other representatives of the fauna.
The main damage to the flamingo population can come from droughts and floods and (as without this) human economic activity. Under unfavorable conditions, flamingos leave their homes, where quite numerous colonies of pelicans also try to settle.
We study and love the nature of East Africa. Pink Pelican
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Look how handsome he is. This is a pink pelican. He is actually pink, but to be more precise, white with a pink tint, and there is a yellow spot on his chest.
This bird can be found not only in Africa, but even in Russia. But I met a pink pelican here in Kenya at Lake Nakuru.
Lake Nakuru is a lake and national park in Central Kenya, 140 km northwest of Nairobi.
History of Nakuru National Park
Nakuru National Park is located around the lake and covers an area of 188 km². It was originally established as a bird sanctuary in 1960 and received national park status in 1968.
Description of Lake Nakuru
As you approach Lake Nakuru, its surface appears to be pink. But as soon as you get closer, it becomes clear that the pink surface of the water is made of huge flocks of flamingos. In fact, the water in this salty lake is green due to the large amount of blue-green algae. It is these algae that flamingos feed on here. In a year, flocks of flamingos eat about 250 tons of algae. But there are no fewer of them in the lake.
The depth of Lake Nakuru does not exceed three meters, which creates ideal conditions for the reproduction of several species of phytoplankton in a salty environment. The abundance of algae makes the water in the lake seem very thick and sticky, which is liked not only by pink flamingos, but also by a huge colony of pelicans.
To protect unique birds from poachers, the Kenyan authorities organized a national reserve here, which protected not only Lake Nakuru, but also the coastal areas. After all, even white rhinoceroses live near the lake. To prevent animals from leaving the reserve, it was surrounded with barbed wire. This is how park workers try to prevent poachers from shooting migrating animals outside the protected area.
As for the attractions of the lake, tourists can expect flocks of pink flamingos, colonies of pelicans, white hippos and beautiful geysers. In addition, about 60 species of different animals can be found here. There are also crocodiles and huge pythons here.
Fauna of the park
The fauna of Nakuru Park is represented by:
- Pink flamingos
- screaming eagle,
- giant heron,
- Hammerhead,
- Lesser piebald kingfisher,
- Kaffir eagle,
- Pelican,
- White Rhinoceros,
- black rhinoceros,
- White hippopotamus,
- Ugandan giraffe,
- water goat,
- Leopard,
- Python...
And many other species of animals and birds.
Visit to the park and Lake Nakuru
Movement around the park is carried out in special vehicles. Walking is prohibited except for visiting special observation platforms.
The cost of visiting is $80.
Lake Nakuru is one of three connected lakes in the Rift Region of Kenya. These lakes are home to 13 endangered bird species and have the highest bird diversity in the world. An absolutely incredible feature of Lake Nakuru is the incredible number of long-legged, greater and lesser long-necked flamingos.
The abundance of special algae attracts these birds, which cover almost the entire coast. In fact, Lake Nakuru is the single largest feeding ground for the lesser flamingo, and the main breeding ground for the great white pelican. Nakuru has been described by ornithologists as the greatest bird watching site in the world. We have already written about the world's largest population of flamingos, and here we will supplement this selection with new photographs and facts.
The lesser flamingo can be distinguished by its dark red crimson beak and pink plumage, in contrast to the greater one. Lesser flamingos are usually featured in documentaries, mainly because they are in larger numbers. Flamingos feed on seaweed that forms in warm alkaline waters and plankton. Scientists estimate that Nakuru's flamingo population of over a million consumes approximately 250,000 kg of seaweed per hectare of surface area annually.
Flamingo numbers have recently decreased, perhaps due to too much tourism and pollution from an industrial waterworks nearby, or simply due to changes in water quality. Typically, the lake recedes during the dry season and fills with water during the rainy season. In recent years, there have also been major changes between dry season and wet season water levels. This is suspected to be caused by an increase in arable land and intensive crop production and urbanization. Pollution and drought kill the flamingos' food supply, forcing them to migrate to neighboring Lakes.