Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus roseus are currently considered to be non-threatened. Their large range allows them to be more resistant to local changes of habitat that could be more critical for shorter-ranged animals. Greater Flamingos readily migrate in response to decreases in habitat quality. Furthermore, the wild population is quite large and both the range and population numbers of Greater flamingos appear to be increasing.
Nevertheless, due to the preferred habitat and nesting behaviours of the flamingo, there are some threats. Because the colony feeds as a large group, they are susceptible to contaminated food sources. A flock in Spain, for instance, was afflicted by a toxic strain of cyanobacteria in their food supply, from which many adults in a mature flock perished. Human intrusion into the preferred shoreline habitats of these birds may interrupt their nesting and breeding success. For instance, seemingly harmless activities as photography have been known to disrupt breeding colonies when the birds have considered it a threat and left the region.
Greater Flamingos are quite easily maintained in captivity, and as popular animals in zoos and some private collections there are large captive populations across the globe. Greater Flamingos are thus likely to survive in the rare event that their natural habitat should face an unforeseen calamity.
Photo taken at Burgers’ Zoo (NL).
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