Conservation Status of Flamingos
Right now none of the species of Flamingos are considered to be endangered. Yet many researchers find that what takes place in our environment now could reduce their numbers significantly in the not so distant future. It is often hard to get a good count of Flamingos due to their diverse distribution. The fact that they fly off to new habitats too can mean they aren’t counted at all or that the same ones get counted several times.
For example in 1924 the James Flamingo was believed to be extinct. However, in 1957 they were discovered living in the Andes Mountains and along areas of Chile in large numbers. One of the biggest fears is the spread of diseases and toxins because these animals do live in such large colonies. It won’t take long for something to kill hundreds or even thousands of members in a short period of time.
What is alarming many researchers is the huge amount of Flamingos that have been dying along the Rift Valley. It is believed this is due to various types of bacteria and toxins that have developed in the water. This is often the result of chemicals, toxins, and pollution in the water due to humans. The introduction of various types of industry and the run off to the waters definitely has affected them negatively over the past several decades.
Global warming can reduce the natural habitat of Flamingos as it dries up the areas where they live and get their food from. It can also halt their desire to reproduce as that season is introduced when it rains. With hotter temperatures and less rain in many areas it can prevent large colonies from taking part in breeding so there are less new Flamingos out there.
Recently the Andean Flamingo has been dropping in numbers and so it is now classified as vulnerable. It is hoped that early intervention though is going to help them be able to get their numbers back up soon and be taken off of that list. There are some efforts out there to help with the future for these and other Flamingos.
In the USA there aren’t any that are considered to be in grave danger. In areas of Chile, the Andres Mountains, and the Caribbean there are regulation laws in place so that limits on those being hunted are in place. Since 1918 they have been protected under the Migratory Bird Act in Chile and the Caribbean as well.
You also have to take into consideration that Flamingos like in difficult environments to begin with. They are found in areas where most other animals wouldn’t be able to survive for very long. When that is altered to become even worse though then they chances of evolving enough and adapting to these new surroundings is extremely difficult if not impossible to do.
The overall consensus is that there are fewer Flamingos out there now than there were a decade ago or half a century ago. This is due to changes in their habitat, more hunting of them in some ranges, human elements, and environmental factors. Yet the number of them right now doesn’t seem to show a huge threat to the overall survival of them.
The fact that we have done research and know the things that pose the biggest threats to the Flaming though means we can work to slow down the decline of them. Early intervention means that major efforts to protect them can be avoided later on. We have learned the hard way with too many animals what can occur if we don’t take action based on what could occur.