Central Kazakhstan enjoys a favorable geographical location on the Eurasian continent for its avifauna. This territory is home to an "oasis" consisting of a large "chain" of wetlands (fresh and salt lakes) capable of supporting a large number of both waterfowl and semi-aquatic birds with their resources (fish, submerged and emergent vegetation, and plankton).
To date, 367 avifauna species have been recorded in the region, 126 of which are breeding species.
45 bird species are listed in the Red Data Book of Kazakhstan.
The Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) is a bird species listed in the Red Data Book.
The world's northernmost flamingo breeding colony is located in the Teniz-Korgalzhyn region, on the bitter-salt Lake Teniz.
Flamingos arrive in our region in the spring, in the second half of April.
The autumn migration begins with the onset of cold weather (from the second half of October).
Flamingos migrate along the Caspian Sea coast to the Persian Gulf and Mediterranean countries.
Flamingos are a relict bird.
Their ancestors were little different in appearance from modern birds. Flamingo remains discovered by anthropologists are approximately 30,000 years old.
The flamingo is a large bird, reaching a height of 120-125 cm. An adult male weighs approximately 4 kg. The wingspan is no more than 160 cm.
The legs make up about half of the bird's height.
The flamingo has a loud, shrill call, vaguely reminiscent of the cries of geese. It can be heard over great distances.
The flamingo has a powerful, downward-curved beak. The beak contains over a hundred small bristles. When filtering water, the bristles trap small crustaceans and protozoa, which are abundant in salt lakes.
The flamingo's main food is the branchiopod Artemia salina. It measures no more than 1 cm. The crustacean contains large amounts of carotenoid, which gives the bird's feathers their pink color.
Flamingos feed in a dance-like manner: dipping their heads in the water, they move their heads from side to side while shifting from foot to foot, stirring up sediment and plankton.
Flamingos have bright red wings with black tips on the flight feathers. Males and females differ only in size, with the male being noticeably larger.
Flamingos are social birds that prefer to stay in groups. In search of food, they gather in flocks and fly long distances, sometimes exceeding dozens of kilometers, in a chain.
Puberty does not occur until the fourth year of life, but pairing does not begin until the fourth or fifth year. The average lifespan of a flamingo is about 10 years.
Flamingos nest in colonies, which contain anywhere from hundreds to several thousand birds.
Birds choose one of the numerous islands located at a considerable distance from the mainland for nesting, preventing predatory mammals from reaching the colony.
The nest is made of moist soil and looks like a small cone-shaped mound no more than 25-30 cm high with a depression in the center. This unusual nest shape protects the clutch from being flooded during storms, which cause waves on the lake to reach over 80 cm. There have been numerous cases of colonies being completely washed away by storms, and the clutches perished. After some time, the birds re-formed them. The nest usually contains one, rarely two, eggs, similar in size to a goose egg.
Flamingo chicks are covered in down and are grayish-white upon hatching. This plumage coloration persists into their second year.
After hatching, the chicks remain in their nests for about 20 days. During this period, adult birds feed them a semi-digested, nutrient-rich substance produced in the upper portions of their digestive tract. After emerging from the nest, the grown chicks begin to feed independently in the shallows near the nesting colony, in so-called "nursery gardens." The chicks do not venture into deeper parts of the water, as they still have down instead of feathers, which easily becomes wet and can cause hypothermia.
The flamingo population in the region fluctuates periodically and ranges from 1,500 to 40,000 birds or more. Changes in population can be caused by atmospheric phenomena (sharp fluctuations in air temperature, changes in the hydrological regime of water bodies, natural anomalies along the migration route), and viral infections in wintering areas.
During periods when these factors coincide with anthropogenic pressure, flamingo numbers rapidly decline to critical levels. This underscores the vulnerability of the species and indicates the need for strict environmental monitoring.
Preserving the natural hydrological regimes of water bodies and limiting tourist activity in key bird concentration areas are the key conditions for these amazing birds to continue to visit our region.
