20,000 flamingos take San Crisanto by surprise
An estimated 20,000 flamingos have descended on the swamps and mangroves of San Crisanto, Yucatán, to begin their nesting season.
The arrival of such large numbers of flamingos in the area is unusual, as the pink birds usually choose Ría Lagartos this time of year.
Locals speculate that the busy summer tourist season in Ría Lagartos may have provoked the flamingos to look elsewhere.
The impressive display has attracted a great number of human visitors, but environmental authorities are warning people not to get too close because flamingos in the wild are easily startled.
Earlier: A colorful new book contains the most mesmerizing images of Yucatán’s pink flamingos
Flamingos get their distinctive pigmentation from eating algae containing carotenoid pigments, which are also present in other animals such as shrimp.
Pink flamingos are native to the Yucatán Peninsula but are known to move across the northern coast from Celestún to El Cuyó throughout the year.
“It is imperative that we do everything in our power to make sure that this amazing species always feel welcome on Yucatán’s shore,” said Yucatán Gov. Mauricio Vila Dosal. “After all, it belongs to them as well.”
Senior Editor Carlos Rosado van der Gracht is a Mexican expedition/Canadian photographer, adventure leader, and PhD candidate. Born in Mérida, Carlos holds multimedia, philosophy, and translation degrees from universities in Mexico, Canada and Norway.
