Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Photographs on this page were taken by Paul Smith, Hemme Batjes, Arne Lesterhuis, Leticia López and Frank Fragano and are used with their permission.
CHILEAN FLAMINGO Phoneicopterus chilensis NEAR THREATENED
You don´t have to be an expert birder to recognise a flamingo when you see one! Long legs, long neck and bright pink plumage are the key in case you didn´t know! Flamingos have an extraordinary feeding technique, holding the bill upside-down and using sieve-like lamellae in the bill to filter feed tiny micro-organisms from the water - the same micro-organisms are responsible for the pink pigment in the feathers. In Paraguay they are associated exclusively with saline lagoons in the Chaco, forming large flocks in winter. Only a few individuals hang around for the infernal Chaco summer though!!
Click on the images to enlarge them.
FIGURE 1 - (FPAVE235PH) Flock, Campo Maria Private Reserve, Cuenca Upper Yacaré Sur (Paul Smith July 2006).
FIGURE 2 - (FPAVE236PH) Flock, Campo Maria Private Reserve, Cuenca Upper Yacaré Sur (Hemme Batjes July 2006).
FIGURE 3 - (FPAVE237PH) Immature at night, Laguna Capitán, Cuenca Upper Yacaré Sur (Paul Smith October 2007).
FIGURE 4 - (FPAVE238PH) Juvenile head detail, Buenos Aires Zoo, Argentina (Paul Smith November 2006).
FIGURE 5 - (FPAVE239PH) Pair taking flight, Campo Maria Private Reserve, Cuenca Upper Yacaré Sur (Arne Lesterhuis undated).
FIGURE 6 - (FPAVE240PH) Flock in formation flight, Campo Maria Private Reserve, Cuenca Upper Yacaré Sur (Leti López February 2005).
FIGURE 7 - (FPAVE241PH) Flock at sunset, Campo Maria Private Reserve, Cuenca Upper Yacaré Sur (Frank Fragano undated).
FIGURE 8 - (FPAVE242PH) Abandoned nest, Laguna Capitán, Cuenca Upper Yacaré Sur (Arne Lesterhuis undated).
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