Fire-winged Flamingo by Gargi Mishra
How am I here? Isn't an existential question we often ask ourselves? Just imagine asking this question for every species we spot. And in front of us we see a living fossil that carries the history of millions of years of evolution. Like flamingo. When we spotted them in the Najafgarh Jheel in Delhi-Haryana border, we came face to face with a bird that has evolved over 30 to 50 million years ago. Arguably, much before us they have been here (modern humans evolved just 3,00,000 years ago).
And the evolutionary history of flamingo is still being unravelled. "Juncitarsus" were previously considered as a kind of prehistoric flamingos; the forefathers of both flamingos and grebes or in other words "Mirandornithes". Probably flamingos diverged from grebes during late Eocene (around 58 to 40 million years) of Europe. Blair Hedges, an evolutionary biologist of Pennsylvania State University, says "The genetical study of flamingos and grebes revealed the astonishing resemblance between the two." Therefore, the closest relative of flamingo is not any other long-legged wading bird rather the stumpy grebe.
Among the six different types of flamingos found in the world, I introduce here the GREATER FLAMINGOS (Phoenicopterus roseus), the largest species of this family.
To evade harsh cold Flamingos in Asia, migrate to different countries with warmer climates like India. If they find the climate mild or bearable then they don't even migrate from that place till the weather turns harsh.
That might have happened with the Greater Flamingos of Najafgarh Jheel too. The much favourable shallow waters and the mud flats of Najafgarh Jheel have perfectly served the purpose to make it their permanent resident.
Its body structure inspires curiosity among us. The unconventional body structure is indeed an adaptive master stroke of sustainability against the saline and alkaline lakes in which they prefer to live. The filter feeding process might be the result of their evolution. Their strange looking bills seem as if broken in the middle. But the mandibles of the bent bills are lined with the hairy structures called lamellae to filter tiny organisms like plankton, tiny fish, shrimp, fly larvae and other plant materials from muddy waters with the help of its large rough tongue upon which flamingos survive.
The long and slender neck (with 17 to 19 neck vertebrae as compared to humans' only 7) allows maximum flexibility in foraging. The joint that appears to be a knee is actually the ankle of the bird which makes sitting easier in a nest. The knee is located close to the body which is externally invisible. Their tough skin has a unique resistance towards alkaline water what would cause blisters and burns in other animals. The three-toed webbed feet helps to spread the bird's weight evenly as it stands on soft mud so that s/he would not sink into it. His/her webbed feet help as peddles when they swim and to stir up the mud beneath to get those tasty morsels.
The most amazing feature I find is the salt gland in their nostril which helps to remove excess salt from their body.
These elegant birds are the only tall pink birds existing in the world. Their dark red wing coverts and black primary and secondary feathers flare up in flight. The plumage colouration of the birds comes from the carotenoid pigments present in the organisms upon which they feed. Greater Flamingos get their pink coloured pigments from the shrimp like crustaceans (any aquatic insect having a body covered with a hard shell or crust). The lack of carotenoids in their food might resulted in the duller plumage.
The uropygial/preen gland of Greater Flamingos also contains carotenoids. So, during breeding season they apply this secretion over their feathers quite generously to enhance their plumage colouration. The mother bird lays only one egg per breeding season. Both the parents feed their new-born with the crop milk that is secreted in the upper digestive tract of the adults. Very interestingly, the crop milk secreted by flamingos is dark pink or red in colour unlike the milk produced by the mammalian species.
They have few other interesting behavioural characteristics. In spite of their height, they are excellent swimmers. To control loss of body temperature in winter Greater Flamingos stand on one leg while resting. They hold their breath while searching for food. Though they feed in saline or muddy waters they need to fly to find fresh water for drinking as their food does not fulfil their water need. They find safety and strength in numbers which help them to stay protected from their predators.
Though there is no remarkable decline in the numbers of Greater Flamingos we humans pose a great threat to their lives by encroaching and polluting their habitats. I presume, flamingos in Najafgarh Jheel full with sewage water must be intaking lots of microplastics. The impact of climate change on rainfall and sea level manipulates their breeding sites. The decrease in the water levels increases the salinity of their feeding sites which can affect the availability of food resources. Further it can cause thick soda deposits which can harm the legs of their chicks.
(Photo credit : Gargi Mishra)
