Lesser Flamingo

• A rare sighting of a Lesser Flamingo (Raj Hamsa) near Fish Mill, Malpe has excited bird lovers and ornithologists.

About Lesser Flamingo

• Scientific Name: Phoeniconaias minor

• The smallest and most numerous flamingo species worldwide.

• Native to sub-Saharan Africa and western India; occasional vagrants spotted further north.

• Prefers highly alkaline or saline lakes, lagoons, and mudflats.

Key Features

• Bright pink plumage, long thin legs, and distinctive red eyes.

• Unique deep red bill with black tip adapted for filter-feeding on algae and diatoms.

• Has a hallux (hind toe) unlike some other flamingos.

• Adult males are generally larger than females.

• Serially monogamous: pairs stay together during chick-rearing.

• Gregarious, living in large flocks with synchronized group movements.

Conservation Status

• Classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List due to habitat threats and other pressures.