#KeWildlife – Story 16

There are certain places that are known for something special, and Lake Nakuru is one of them. Its hard to think of the lake without the iconic pink birds that are synonymous with it. Flamingoes or more specifically the Lesser Flamingo whose claim to fame is that they are the most numerous type of flamingoes in the world are beautiful birds that are spread across the Rift Valley and can be found as far away as India. But our region holds a certain magicfor this long legged creature – Lake Natron and Lake Magadi are the primary breeding grounds for these important birds and without the lakes….no flamingoes.

But back to Lake Nakuru. Did you know a couple of years ago the lake started expanding? Somehow this expansion from underground sources upset the delicate balance of the water ecosystem resulting in less algae available for the daily consumption of the thouands of birds living there. And so a massive migration of the lake’s iconic birds to Lake Bogoria, a little further north in the great Rift Valley took place. So now if you want to witness the glory of a million flamingoes gliding over the lake or creating a massive pink cluster covering blue water the hot waters of Lake Bogoria is the place to do so!

One last thing before we go – did you ever wonder where the flamingo gets its beautiful pink hues from? Interestingly, when it hatches it’s a bluish grey in colour. However from the time it starts feeding on life-giving algae a transformation begins. Eating algae which are full of carotenoids, infuse our flamingo friends with their distinct colour as they grow. Who would have thought excess consumption of algae would be colourful for your health?!