The pink flamingo

The pink flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber ruber) is found in the Mexican Caribbean, specifically in the Bahamas and Cuba, and in the Yucatan Peninsula.

This millenary bird that was venerated by many ancient cultures, has been affected today by the destruction of its habitat, especially its nesting areas. Because of this, all five species of flamingoes find themselves in danger of extinction and protected by international agreements.

Ria Lagartos (state of Yucatan) is the only reproductive flamingo colony found on the North American continent; a zone considered an official Wildlife Refuge for the past 20 years and designated a Biosphere Reserve in 1999. This year, Xcaret Park –that has been supporting the Refuge since 1996– initiates, in accord with the Reserve and the approval of the National Institute of Ecology, an important Program for the Protection of the Pink Flamingo.  

Because flamingoes are very nervous birds that need a tranquil environment to nest, observation and control were the first steps taken in order to avoid, as much as possible, predators (jaguars and wild dogs), fires and small planes.

The program undertakes the rescue of eggs displaced by floods, the tides or whatever other type of perturbation suffered. 

Last year, for example, a great number of nests were abandoned due to the presence of a jaguar. Nearly 600 eggs were collected and after determining which had live embryos, 220 were incubated in the reserve’s incubator donated by Xcaret Park while 317 were transported to the park where they were artificially incubated.  International institutions provided assistance once the chicks were born.

The actions also include: monitoring the flock during nesting season; monitoring the artificial incubation; manually feeding the chicks with a nutritious formula; measuring them daily; reintegrating the chicks into the wild and with some forming a reproductive flock in the park; rescuing abandoned chicks and injured juveniles; studying the biology, behavior and habitat of this species that, with 135 million years in existence, is one of the oldest in the world.