The flamingo is an important bird for the ecosystem of the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula.
MÉRIDA, Yucatán, (July 01, 2021).- “Despite the effects caused by the floods brought by cyclones “Cristóbal”, “Gamma” and “Delta” last year, the Rosa del Caribe flamingo colony, which are installed in the Biosphere Reserve of Río Lagartos, remains stable and with good evolution,” assured Irene KuDoporto, the manager of the Yucatan Peninsula of the Foundation Pedro y Elena Hernández.
She specified that based on records from the Directorate of the Biosphere Reserve, the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (Conanp) as well as the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), to date the arrival of thirty thousand adult flamingos that have settled in 15 thousand nests, a figure very similar to that registered in 2020.
She recalled that the pink flamingo is endemic to the Peninsula, but that, in the last two years, it has been perceived that it is very susceptible to climate change concerning its nesting times and life habits.
“The colony is evolving well this year, the same thing happened last year, we were lucky that there was a nesting colony, they did lay eggs that hatched, the young did sprout and the population is growing. This year the same is happening, the management of the Ría Lagartos Conanp-Semarnat Biosphere Reserve is studying the colony and how it is being influenced by the pandemic. They are continuously reporting the number of individuals they are observing, ” she explained.
She indicated that with the arrival of the pandemic, one of the benefits that the species has is that it is not under the pressure of the presence of humans.
So far, she explained, the Peninsula has not had a period of many showers of rain, which helps the water level not to rise excessively and the area where the flamingos nest is safe.
She highlighted that the number of flamingos as well as their nests is average since it is studied through frames whose complete study will be done in September.
“It is an extremely delicate area in the Río Lagartos Biosphere Reserve where they nest, there is a little pressure from vehicular noise, fishing, no tourists, so during these last two years, the birds have had a period of rest in that sense, all species have received a respite in this and other natural protected areas in the state and the Peninsula such as El Palmar ”, she asserted.
She added that flamingos, before making their nests and laying their eggs, look for the right soil to do so and that meets all the necessary conditions.
