Flamenco Enano: no es oro todo lo que reluce
Una búsqueda rápida por internet sólo sirvió para desatar una cierta esperanza de que pudiese ser un ave salvaje. ¿Porqué? Pues porque resultaba que en Sudáfrica y en Kenya se habían anillado flamencos enanos con PVC. Y encima:
‘A long-term ringing program for Lesser Flamingos has been started by Leicester University, U.K., The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, U.K. and the National Museums of Kenya, supported by The Earthwatch Institute, at Lake Bogoria National Reserve, Kenya, under the auspices of William Kimosop, Warden. The primary purposes of this program are to collect up-to-date biometrics on the species and to study their migratory patterns. To date (June 2001), 37 birds have had metal rings placed on their right legs and large orange PVC (Darvic) bands on their left legs, both above the tibia-tarsus joint (see ringing information).
Inf. Brooks Childress, University of Leicester, Leicester, U.K
De los cuales 49 habian sido anillados en el lago Bogoria con códigos AA-CU!:
Forty-nine Lesser Flamingos were PVC-banded in August at Lake Bogoria (codes AA-CU) during another occurrence of the cyclical epizootic which affects these birds in
Contactado la central anilladora Sudafricana SAFRING, nos confirman que el ave no es suya. Por su parte, el Dr. Brooks Childress del WWWT de Slimbridge , confirma que sus flamencos del lago Bogoria tenian anillas de PVC naranjas y no rojas (!) y que ya sabian de la existencia de ese mismo flamenco ‘AS’ que al parecer se escapó, con otros de una colección de Bélgica. Sin embargo, opina que la especie también llega de forma natural desde África a Europa:
‘Lesser Flamingos are now seen regularly in Europe. Many are escapees from zoos and private collections; twelve are known to have escaped from a zoo in the Balearic Islands around 1989-1990. However, I agree with you that several may also be natural vagrants from East or West Africa, associated with movements of P. roseus. They have been reported in Israel and Turkey in recent years. In addition, Lesser Flamingos have bred and raised chicks on at least two occasions in the Camargue, and this year a pair bred at Fuente de Piedra.
The bird you report, with the AS ring, was seen and photographed earlier this year in the flamingo colony at Fuente de Piedra. We're not sure where it came from, but a Lesser Flamingo with a similar red ring and the markings "CG" on its left tibia was seen on several occasions in Holland. After publication of this information in our bulletin, one of our members received a message from Mr. Steffen Patzwahl, Director of Paradiso Zoological Parc in Cambron-Casteau in Belgium saying:" Read in the past "Flamingo" about the Lessers in Holland. The bird with inscription "CG" (red) is a bird that escaped from our parc on 26/07/2002".
As the two rings seem very similar, I have assumed that the "AS" was also an escapee from Paradiso Zoological Parc, but we never followed up for confirmation.
Hemos escrito al parque Paradisio (http://www.paradisio.be) pero hasta la fecha no hemos recibido ninguna confirmación. Un jarro de agua fria para los que andamos tras probar que esta especie llega de forma natural desde África. Si la anilla llega a ser naranja...
ABSTRACT: Lesser Flamingo. All that shines is not gold. This year
