Tickled Pink by tall waders! Flamingoes in Mumbai.

Tickled Pink by tall waders! 

Flamingoes in Mumbai. 

Elsie Gabriel

I was tickled pink watching these tall waders at the Airoli creek in Mumbai. It was a sight to behold. The Navi Mumbai Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world and their functions include flood control, aquifer recharge, nutrient absorption, and erosion control. A great variety of species depend on wetlands here and if you are a bird watcher and nature lover, there is no better place than here to view the  pink beauties called Flamingos. Of course you can find them else where also at the Sewri mudflats,Chilka lake and Rann of Kutch Gujarat and many other several wetlands spread across India too.But,You can only appreciate them once you lay eyes on them,  and know that it’s worth getting dirty and mucky on a good Sunday morning trying to see them first hand. 

Flamingos are a type of wading birds found in tropical and subtropical areas. Their distinctive pink plumage, characteristic tendency to stand on one leg, and highly social behavior make them a favorite among bird lovers.

Out here in the wild, flamingos form huge colonies along the lagoons, shorelines, and wetland areas. All flamingos are in the family Phoenicopteridae,but many are threatened due to habitat reduction. Most of these wetland zone here are essentially natural ecosystems stabilized over the years, and have retained their natural characteristics, hope the sites are let alone to exist for our children’s children to get a glimpse of these pink waders. pics copyright@elsiegabriel

Flamingos vary in size depending on the species, but are on average three to five feet tall with long spindly legs and necks, a short tail, and large muscular wings. The plumage of a flamingo ranges from pink to orange, with two distinctive black marks on the front of the wing. The webbed feet of the flamingo are ideal for gripping the muddy bottoms of lagoons and lakes, and the muscular wings allow flamingos to fly, as long as they get a running start. Flamingos have the longest legs and necks, relative to body size, of any bird. This enables them to stand in relatively deep water, where they can stir up mud at the bottom to obtain food. They are also able to reach deep into the water with their long necks to feed.

Flamingos live in large colonies that may contain tens of thousands of individual birds. As with other animals that live in colonies or herds, this provides protection from predators. The birds are vulnerable when feeding, but in such a large group, some individuals will be alert to any threats and will warn the flock of danger. Flamingos communicate by vocalizing and parents learn to recognize their chicks’ calls, allowing them to be located when a parent has been foraging for food.

Flamingos build raised nests out of mud, so that the egg will not be flooded if the water level rises. The female flamingo lays one large egg, which the pair takes turns incubating until it hatches. After approximately two weeks, the young flamingo starts to explore the world along with other flamingos in a gang called a creche. The creche may choose to stay at the same lagoon, or explore another territory somewhere else.
 Humans do pose a threat to flamingos by damaging their natural habitat in a variety of ways including development, increasing salinity of the water, letting garbage and sewage flow into the wetlands, building structures, or draining the water off for other purposes.

I guess someone had once said-Simplicity is the best beauty! 
Next time take a simple trail down the simple creek to see these simply magnificent pink waders!
 All photographs copyright@elsiegabriel.com