When to see Flamingos on Lake Nakuru National Park : Flamingoes are the trademark attraction in Lake Nakuru national park and most of the travelers visiting Lake Nakuru national park visit majorly to spot these beautiful birds which are in large numbers.
Flamingoes in Lake Nakuru national park
Lake Nakuru national park is famous for thousands of flamingoes that hang around the shores of the lake creating a pink plumage, in this park there are two main species of flamingoes that are the lesser and greater flamingoes and they are specially found in the shores of Lake Nakuru.
The abundance of flamingoes in Lake Nakuru national park is attracted to lake by its abundance of algae, flamingoes feed on the abundant algae thriving in the warm waters of the lake.
About flamingoes
Flamingoes are a large family of brilliantly colored warding birds belonging to the family of Phoenicopteridae, flamingoes generally inhabit alkaline and saline lakes and lagoon and Lake Nakuru is one of them. Flamingoes prefer to live in hot dry regions avoiding cool mist forested areas except in the Andes where they inhabit in freezing alkaline lakes 14000 ft (4250 meters), on the African continent.
Flamingoes are two species that is Greater flamingoes and the lesser flamingoes, these flamingoes differ in size, the greater flamingoes are larger than the lesser flamingoes.
Greater flamingoes
Greater flamingoes also referred to as the Phoenicopterus Roseus are much larger than the lesser flamingo in structure, when standing they are nearly 6ft tall. Greater flamingoes are pale pink or white at a distance with a line of bright coral pink in the folded wing.
Greater flamingoes feed on relatively large organisms in the bottom and deep waters.
Lesser flamingoes
Lesser flamingoes also referred to as the Phoeniconaias minor is the smallest and most numerous species of flamingoes, these birds have a pinkish white plumage and live on the shores of alkaline lakes and lagoons.
These flamingoes mostly feed on filtering small or microscopic plant life from mud and water, lesser flamingoes feed on the surface and can feed equally when swimming or walking as long as the water is calm (They do not feed in rough water).
Flamingoes prefer to breed on soft mud on which they built characteristic molts usually 6 to 18 (15-46 cm) high, shaped like truncated cones with a hallow opening at the top.
When to see flamingoes in Lake Nakuru national park
Flamingoes in Lake Nakuru national park are greatly witnessed when the rain has stopped, however they can also be seen in large numbers in continuing rain season. The reason to why flamingoes are seen in this period is that the blue algae on Lake Nakuru becomes much and is in plenty after the rain or during the rainy season.
In the season before the rains, there are least populations of flamingoes on the shores of Lake Nakuru, before the rains levels of the blue algae levels on lake reduce which causes the flamingoes to migrate to other lakes in the region in search for food. In the dry season, the algae is in abundance which attracts huge population of flamingoes that can be seen on the shores of Lake Nakuru.
In conclusion, the best time to see flamingoes in Lake Nakuru national park is during the months of July, August, September, December, January and February. However you can still see the flamingoes in other months of the year.
Lake Nakuru
Lake Nakuru is one of the saline lakes of the lake system in the Great Rift Valley of Eastern Africa, the lake lies at an elevation of 1,754 meters above the sea level with a surface area of 5 to 45 square kilometers and an average depth of 0.30 meters.
About Lake Nakuru national park
Lake Nakuru national park is one of the most scenic and popular safari destinations in Kenya, this park is regarded as one of the best birding sites in Kenya with over 400 bird species and a home to a huge population of rhinos in Kenya.
Lake Nakuru national park is located
Lake Nakuru national park hosts over 400 recorded bird species and some of these birds include flamingoes, Abyssinian thrush, Arrow – marked babbler, bateleur, black-tailed godwit, black-winged lapwing , Brimstone canary, Brown –backed scrub robin, crab—plover, Eastern imperial eagle, European roller, grey crowned crane, grey headed wood pecker, great snipe among others.
Lake Nakuru national also hosts 56 different wildlife species including white rhinos, waterbucks, impalas, giraffes, and lions among others.
