Chilean scientists track flamingos by satellite to preserve dwindling population

SANTIAGO (Reuters): The flamingo population in Chile’s Los Flamencos national reserve is dwindling and scientists are trying to find out where the long-legged, pink-plumed birds are going.

“The number of flamingos we’re seeing is much lower than two years ago,” said Guillermo Cubillos, head of conservation and investigations unit for Chile’s National Zoo.

Cubillos said that while between 100 and 150 flamingos were detected last year in the reserve in the country’s north, just 15 to 20 were accounted for this year.

“Threats like climate change, mining – in this case lithium – could potentially be a direct threat to this species and their habitat,” he said, noting that flamingos were highly sensitive to any changes in their environment, including noise from trucks and other human activity.

“So any change in the ecosystem, flamingos are the first to feel it.”

To find out where flamingos are going, scientists are trapping the birds and attaching satellite transmitters to track their movements and see where they feed, breed and how they use their environment.

That data will be used to propose conservation sites and direct conservation efforts for the three species of flamingos in the area, Cubillos said, adding that high altitude lagoons and wetlands are very fragile ecosystems.

“The spirit of the flamingo conservation project is to also provide science-based evidence to take decisions regarding land use,” Cubillos said, noting that the area where the reserve was located was important both for mining and biodiversity.