Home › Aves › Phoenicopteridae › Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor)
SPECIES PROFILE
Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor)
Phoeniconaias
IUCN STATUS
Near Threatened
CONSERVATION STATUS
Near Threatened
CLASS
Aves
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Africa and South Asia
DIET
Herbivorous (filter feeder)
HABITAT
Alkaline soda lakes
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Aves
ORDER
Phoenicopteriformes
FAMILY
Phoenicopteridae
GENUS
Phoeniconaias
📋 Description
SIZE
Up to 1 m tall
COLORATION
Pale pink with a deep-red bill tip
ADAPTATIONS
Filter-feeds on algae in caustic soda lakes few animals can tolerate
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Alkaline soda lakes
DIET
Herbivorous (filter feeder)
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Africa and South Asia
REPRODUCTION
Single egg on a mud mound
DIET DETAILS
Blue-green algae
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Water level changes, mining
💡 Interesting Facts
1
The smallest and most numerous flamingo, gathering in flocks over a million strong.
2
Its pink colour and the caustic lakes it feeds on come from the same blue-green algae.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Lake Nakuru
Lake Bogoria
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
June-November
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
Visit soda lakes in the Rift Valley; huge pink flocks feed in the shallows, sometimes over a million birds.
