| Phoenicopteriformes |
| Birds are a very large family of animals, so many, that they are broken down into groups by order, according to the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy- a new and increasingly approved taxonomy based on DNA analysis, as opposed to the older taxonomy, which was more based on appearance, geography, and behavior. |
| Greater Flamingo |
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Species:
Phoenicopterus roseus Length: 50-55" (1.2-1.4m) |
| Ngorongoro | |
| The Greater Flamingo is the most widespread of the Flamingo species. Their bill is basically built upside down, which they use in an inverted fashion when they feed, as shown here. The drag it through the mud and silt, and the tongue and hairy structures separate food from silt, eating small crustaceans and algae. |
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| Serengeti |
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| These flamingoes were in Lake Ndutu, in the far-south Serengeti. The lakes- soda lakes, partially dry up and are the favored feeding ground for flamingoes, I would suppose because it concentrates the food supply, and algae blooms in brackish water. |
| The white band on the shore in the distance is basically salty- the soda in soda lakes. During the dry season, the lakes shrink and leave mineral deposits along the new, smaller shoreline. |  |
| Lesser Flamingo |
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Species:
Phoeniconaias minor Length: 32-35" (80-90cm) |
| Serengeti | |
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The Lesser Flamingo is about 1/3 smaller than the Greater Flamingo, and they are much more colorfully pink. They are seen together with the Greater Flamingo in large colonies in these soda lakes that dot the region. |
| Greater and Lesser Flamingo Colonies |
| Serengeti | |
| Here is a mixture of Greater and Lesser Flamingoes in Lake Ndutu in the south end of the Serengeti. | |
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| Here's another mix of flamingoes. You can see the smaller Lesser Flamingo in the front of the left group of four- even though it's closer, it still is smaller in the image. The small bird towards the right side of the image possibly may be a juvenile- it has black on it, but looks very much flamingo-like in other ways. The picture is just a bit too blurry for details on it. |
| Ngorongoro | |
| Lake Magadi in Ngorongoro Crater is another seasonal lake rich in food for Flamingoes. On the left is the more pink Lesser Flamnigo, and on the righ is the whiter Greater Flamingo. |
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| Here's a final view of Lake Magadi in Ngorongoro Crater. There was a large flock here of a mixture of Greater and Lesser Flamingoes, with the shimmering soda deposits (good for laundry!) in front of a stand of acacias, which are themselves in front of the crater wall. |
