Flamingos have returned to Cyprus with the images arriving from Aliki Larnaca being enchanting. The flamingos, apart from the Larnaca Salt Lake, also choose the Lake in Oroklini.
Photos by photographer Christos Theodoridis on politis.com.cy show winter visitors to our island in the province of Larnaca.
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The beautiful flamingos of Cyprus
There are six different species of flamingos on the planet, all of which belong to the genus Phoenicopterus and the family Phoenicopteridae. Flamingos feed mainly on small marine invertebrates such as shrimp, algae, mollusks and aquatic plants. The reddish color of their feathers is due to the pigments in the food they eat, which contain carotenoid pigments. In Cyprus we find the species, large flamingo, (Phoenicopterus roseus) Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) which is the largest of all species of flamingos that exist on the planet. It is also found in wetlands of the Mediterranean coastal countries, Africa, the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East. It becomes sexually mature at the age of 2-3 years. It is a monogamous species that nests in colonies. The female lays 1-2 eggs which she incubates for 28-29 days. The young leave the nest 70-75 days after hatching. They do not reproduce in our place, although a few years ago they tried to nest in the Akrotiri salt flat, but without success. The great flamingo can live up to 33 years in the wild, while 40 in captivity.
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