Mystery Bird: Lesser Flamingo, Phoeniconaias minor

tags: , , , ,

[Mystery bird] Lesser Flamingo, Phoeniconaias minor, photographed in Swakopmund, Namibia, Africa [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]

Image: Dennis Paulson, April 2007 [larger view].

Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.

Review all mystery birds to date.

More like this

Well, this is just based off of a quick search with the help of Google, but I'll hazard it's a Lesser Flamingo. Fieldmarks: African location and the bill much more black than the Greater Flamingo.

I once spent a day helping count them (and greater flamingos) at the salt evaporation pans at nearby Walvis Bay. The far side of the pans was just a shimmer in the heat haze and the individual groups were moving around all the time. IIRC we estimated 25,000 lesser and 40,000 greaters, relatively small numbers.

By Richard Simons (not verified) on 28 Jun 2009 #permalink

Yep its def the Lesser Flamingo (Phoenicopterus Minor).

1. Black/Red beak Pattern
2. Wing Plumage
3. Location

An ostrich at a costume party. You can tell it's an ostrich 'cuz it's looking for some sand to stick it's head into. And it must be at a costume party 'cuz it don't look like no ostrich ('cept for being tall and fat, with a long neck).