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The Lesser Flamingo

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Lesser Flamingos

Abstract

The Lesser Flamingo is an extraordinary bird. The striking color of its plumage, the special proportions of its body, the voluminous beak filtering its algal food out of the water, and its survival under extreme conditions characterized by heat, salty mud, and caustic soda make it a masterpiece of evolution. No other bird is comparable to the Lesser Flamingo, only the mystical firebird Phoenix. However, unlike his immortal likeness, the Lesser Flamingo is threatened. Man, with his urban energy, destroys the habitat of this flagship species. For the Lesser Flamingo, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find suitable food and an undisturbed breeding ground. Hunger and poisons weaken the bird and make it sensitive to pathogenic germs. Will we be able to admire the magnificent natural spectacle of swarms of the pink character bird of the soda lakes and salt pans of Africa and India in the future?

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Stechlin, Germany

    Lothar Krienitz

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  1. Lothar Krienitz
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Krienitz, L. (2018). The Lesser Flamingo. In: Lesser Flamingos. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-58163-6_1

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