Young Reporters > The decimation of the Flamingo population at Larnaca Salt Lake

Phoenicopterus ruber is one of the largest (height up to 150 cm) and most conspicuous waterbirds that overwinters at our salt lakes in large flocks. Its usual haunts are Larnaca and Akrotiri salt lakes as well as Paralimni lake used in certain years. This year (2003-2004) at Larnaca salt lake the highest number was 5500.

High water levels at Larnaca salt lake cause difficulties for the feeding of the birds (they are bottom feeders) with diminishing numbers during very rainy winters and feeding at the shallow margins of the lake(up to 70-80 cm).

The Larnaca salt lake is a brine lake with its water having a salt content of more than 100g/L of water. This is the habitat of various types of algae and rotifers that feed in there on the brine shrimp Artemia that the flamingos predominantly prey on.

Flamingos feed by first submerging their head and neck underwater and placing it between their feet, then walking backwards while stirring up the substrate and swallowing the mixture of sand and plankton. They strain the sand and plankton in their beak with the aid of their fleshy tongue, retaining the most edible material.

The erratic breeding behaviour of the flamingos due to their dependence on current lake hydrology, was observed in cyprus when, surprisingly during the summer of 2000 many nests were found in the middle of Larnaca salt lake. No eggs were laid and the birds apparently ceased all breeding attempts when water conditions of the lake became unfavorable.

Prior to 2002 death of flamingos were rare and were due to natural causes. In February 2003, 52 Flamingos were found dead along Larnaca salt lake due to lead poisoning. Investigations by the Fishing Department place the blame on the operations of the local clay-pigeon shooting club situated at the northern shore of the lake.

Although the club was in operation since 1979 no birds had died as the lake water never reached the area where the shotgun pellets were deposited. Heavy rainfall during the winter of 2002-2003 resulted in the expansion of the lake waters to the shooting range area where flamingos fed in the newly available lead pellet infested shallows mistakenly ingesting them as seeds or molluscs.

Having realised the problem the Fishing Department undertook cleaning operations with the removal of tones of sand from the polluted area. The area adjacent the shooting club building, which was dry at the time, was left to be cleared the following year. Unfortunately the winter 2003-2004 had the heaviest rainfall recorded for the past seventy years. The result was the expansion yet again of the lake's waters to the previously dry shooting club grounds, thus exposing the birds to new lead feeding areas. So in March 2004, 15 Flamingos were found dead.

The lead destroys the nerves operating by muscular parts of the gizzard thus assimilation of nutrients by the intestine gradually ceases and the bird succumbs to malnutrition. It has been found by biologists that 6 lead pellets are enough to kill a bird such as a Flamingo in about 28 days, by which time it has lost about 40-50% its body weight. Insufficient prey of lack of it speeds up the process as the pellets are not quickly voided by the intestine and are thus retained in the gizzard for longer to be ground by the sand. As a result lead is released. Thus lake hydrology played its part in this tragic event. But for more serious threat than illegal hunting and lead poisoning looms over the birds of the lake. This is the urban sprawl and holiday housing development that is rapidly threatening to devour all the natural habitants around the lake. Hopefully the designation of these areas as Natura 2000 sites will arrest this process and establish programmes for protection, monitoring and rehabilitation of these wetland ecosystems.