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Life Sciences
Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution
Do flamingos have scouts?
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Do flamingos have scouts?
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MarianaM
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Do flamingos have scouts?
«
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02/09/2019 11:17:31 »
Wim asks...
I live near Cape Town next to a little estuary lake that has flamingos in it.
When there is no rain the city closes the mouth to the sea to keep the water in but then it loses salinity and the water gets dirty and the flamingos leave.
Then when the rains come and they open up the exit again the water quality improves and the flamingos come back.
How do the flamingos know that the water is ok again? Do they send individuals out to scout for better places to stay?
Any thoughts?
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evan_au
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Re: Do flamingos have scouts?
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02/09/2019 23:31:14 »
A similar remarkable thing happens at Lake Eyre in Australia - this is an inland lake,
far
inland, which receives almost no rain, and is dry most years.
But occasionally, rains will occur - perhaps 1,000 km from lake Eyre, which flow down to Lake Eyre, turning it into a temporary oasis in the desert.
In those years, huge numbers of birds flock to Lake Eyre.
Perhaps the birds know that when there has been heavy rain, this is a good place to go?
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=61qRcM3EGuQ
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Hayseed
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Re: Do flamingos have scouts?
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03/09/2019 01:35:15 »
I wouldn't think the birds are there for water or salt. They are probably there for the hatching of the shrimp or crabs. No matter the season or water level, check for the food.
No food, no birds. I once lived on a dry lake bed. After years it rained and the lake was full of shrimp......birds came from hundreds of miles for the feast. A few months later it rained, but no birds, cause no food.
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