Phoeniconaias minor

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	PHOENICOPTERIFORMES	PHOENICOPTERIDAE

Scientific Name:

Phoeniconaias minor

Species Authority:

(Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1798)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Lesser Flamingo
French	–	Flamant nain, Petit flamant
Spanish	–	Flamenco Enano

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Near Threatened ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Mahood, S., Butchart, S.

Contributor/s:

Tyler, S., Anderson, M., Bennun, L., Hawkins, F., Childress, B., Simmons, R.

Justification:
This species is classified as Near Threatened because populations appear to be undergoing a moderately rapid reduction. Proposed large-scale soda ash extraction at Lake Natron, the most important breeding colony, although currently on hold, would be disasterous for this species and, were this to happen, the species may qualify for uplisting to a higher threat category.

History:

2006	–	Near Threatened
2004	–	Near Threatened

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Phoeniconaias minor breeds mainly in the Rift Valley lakes of East Africa in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania. Three smaller breeding congregations occur in West Africa, in southern Africa, and in India and Pakistan in Asia. When not breeding, it occurs in virtually every sub-Saharan country and from the Arabian peninsula to Pakistan. The global population is c.2,220,000-3,240,000, including c.650,000 in Asia². The largest population, estimated to be 1.5-2.5 million birds, occurs on the alkaline-saline lakes of the Great Rift Valley in East Africa¹⁰. Smaller populations occur in the Rann of Kachchh in north-western India, estimated to be approximately 390,000 birds, in southern Africa, estimated to be 55,000-65,000 birds, and in West Africa, estimated to be 15,000-25,000 birds¹⁰. Declines have been suggested for much of Africa^2,3, but are difficult to clarify due to widescale movement within the continent. It is adapted to respond to local environmental changes in sites by moving elsewhere, and thus depends on a network of suitable areas¹.
Countries:	Native: Angola; Botswana; Burundi; Cameroon; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Djibouti; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Gabon; Gambia; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; India; Kenya; Lesotho; Madagascar; Malawi; Mauritania; Mozambique; Namibia; Pakistan; Senegal; Sierra Leone; South Africa; Sudan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Uganda; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe Vagrant: Afghanistan; Chad; Comoros; Egypt; Ghana; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Mauritius; Morocco; Niger; Nigeria; Oman; Réunion; Rwanda; Sao Tomé and Principe; Saudi Arabia; Somalia; Spain; Sri Lanka; Swaziland; United Arab Emirates
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	15,000-25,000 individuals in W. Africa (Trolliet & Fouquet 2002, Trolliet et al. 2004, T. Dodman in litt. 2002 to Wetlands International 2002); 1,500,000-2,500,000 in E. Africa (unpublished information supplied by Wetlands International Specialist Groups to Wetlands International 2006); 55,000-65,000 in S. Africa and Madagascar (Dodman 2002); 650,000 in S. Asia (Parasharya and Tere in litt. 2005 to Wetlands International 2006).
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Population:

15,000-25,000 individuals in W. Africa (Trolliet & Fouquet 2002, Trolliet et al. 2004, T. Dodman in litt. 2002 to Wetlands International 2002); 1,500,000-2,500,000 in E. Africa (unpublished information supplied by Wetlands International Specialist Groups to Wetlands International 2006); 55,000-65,000 in S. Africa and Madagascar (Dodman 2002); 650,000 in S. Asia (Parasharya and Tere in litt. 2005 to Wetlands International 2006).

Population Trend:

Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Behaviour This species is itinerant and makes extensive movements in response to adverse environmental conditions^{1, 6, 11, 12, 13}. The Asian and southern African populations are partially migratory, with many making regular movements from their breeding sites inland to coastal wetlands when not breeding^{12, 14}. The species breeds in huge colonies of many thousands of pairs often mixed with Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus⁶. The timing of breeding is irregular and varies geographically depending on the timing of the rains, with individual adults often not breeding annually¹⁵. The species is an obligate filter feeder and feeds during the night and early morning when the surface of the water is calm, primarily by swimming and filtering the algae near the surface with a specialised bill that contains up to 10,000 microscopic lamellae⁶. When necessary, the species forms large dense feeding flocks that create calm water for feeding near the centre of the flock⁶. Habitat The species breeds on large undisturbed alkaline and saline lakes, salt pans or coastal lagoons, usually far out from the shore after seasonal rains have provided the flooding necessary to isolate remote breeding sites from terrestrial predators and the soft muddy material for nest building^{6, 16, 17}. Diet It has a highly specialised diet consisting almost entirely of microscopic blue-green algae (Spirulina spp., Oscillatoria spp. and Lyngbya spp.) and benthic diatoms (Navicula spp., Bacillariophyceae) found only in alkaline lakes, salt pans and saline lagoons and estuaries⁶. To a lesser extent the species will also take small aquatic invertebrates such as rotifers (Brachiomus spp)⁶. Breeding site The nest is built from mud substrates^{15, 16}. Management information The species will breed successfully on artificial breeding islands in ideal conditions¹⁸.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

Behaviour This species is itinerant and makes extensive movements in response to adverse environmental conditions^{1, 6, 11, 12, 13}. The Asian and southern African populations are partially migratory, with many making regular movements from their breeding sites inland to coastal wetlands when not breeding^{12, 14}. The species breeds in huge colonies of many thousands of pairs often mixed with Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus⁶. The timing of breeding is irregular and varies geographically depending on the timing of the rains, with individual adults often not breeding annually¹⁵. The species is an obligate filter feeder and feeds during the night and early morning when the surface of the water is calm, primarily by swimming and filtering the algae near the surface with a specialised bill that contains up to 10,000 microscopic lamellae⁶. When necessary, the species forms large dense feeding flocks that create calm water for feeding near the centre of the flock⁶. Habitat The species breeds on large undisturbed alkaline and saline lakes, salt pans or coastal lagoons, usually far out from the shore after seasonal rains have provided the flooding necessary to isolate remote breeding sites from terrestrial predators and the soft muddy material for nest building^{6, 16, 17}. Diet It has a highly specialised diet consisting almost entirely of microscopic blue-green algae (Spirulina spp., Oscillatoria spp. and Lyngbya spp.) and benthic diatoms (Navicula spp., Bacillariophyceae) found only in alkaline lakes, salt pans and saline lagoons and estuaries⁶. To a lesser extent the species will also take small aquatic invertebrates such as rotifers (Brachiomus spp)⁶. Breeding site The nest is built from mud substrates^{15, 16}. Management information The species will breed successfully on artificial breeding islands in ideal conditions¹⁸.

Systems:

Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Only three main breeding sites exist in Africa, all facing threats and requiring protection⁴. Proposed soda-ash mining and hydro-electric power schemes affecting the main breeding site, Lake Natron in Tanzania, though currently put on hold, could cause rapid overall population declines due to disturbance and the introduction of an alien brine shrimp to clean the soda of algae (the flamingo's food)¹. Other threats include land-claim, water pollution, and disturbance, and there are fears that the population at Lake Bogoria is sufferring from malnutrition^4,5,7.

Major Threat(s):

Only three main breeding sites exist in Africa, all facing threats and requiring protection⁴. Proposed soda-ash mining and hydro-electric power schemes affecting the main breeding site, Lake Natron in Tanzania, though currently put on hold, could cause rapid overall population declines due to disturbance and the introduction of an alien brine shrimp to clean the soda of algae (the flamingo's food)¹. Other threats include land-claim, water pollution, and disturbance, and there are fears that the population at Lake Bogoria is sufferring from malnutrition^4,5,7.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway CITES Appendix II. CMS Appendix II. It breeds at an artificially created site at Kamfers Dam, South Africa⁸. Conservation Actions Proposed Regularly monitor the population at Lake Natron and other key sites. Ensure complete and permanent protection of all breeding congregations, particularly those at Lake Natron.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
CITES Appendix II. CMS Appendix II. It breeds at an artificially created site at Kamfers Dam, South Africa⁸.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Regularly monitor the population at Lake Natron and other key sites. Ensure complete and permanent protection of all breeding congregations, particularly those at Lake Natron.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2008. Phoeniconaias minor. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2012.
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