Love is in the Air for Bonaire’s American Flamingos!
Each December, those lucky enough to be on Bonaire can witness the courtship and breeding of the island’s iconic American Flamingo.
Posted December 16, 2024
The courtship, breeding, and nesting habits of Bonaire’s American Flamingo.
The American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), with its vibrant coral-pink plumage and elegant posture, is one of the Caribbean’s most striking avian species. This bird thrives in tropical and subtropical habitats, and the island of Bonaire stands out as one of its most significant breeding grounds. Known for its pristine landscapes and commitment to conservation, Bonaire provides a sanctuary where these iconic, protected birds can thrive. This article delves into the fascinating breeding and nesting habits of the American Flamingo, including their captivating courtship rituals.
There can be three distinct breeding seasons for American Flamingos here on Bonaire, but the most popular time for nesting and chick-rearing is January through March. Courtship and seasonal mate selection can begin early in November, with courtship rituals and/or mating observed in December. This preferred nesting season could be determined by environmental conditions, especially water depths at nesting sites, which often can be rainfall dependent.
Courtship: a choreographed dance of elegance.
Courtship among American Flamingos is a highly synchronized and a visually striking affair, carried out in large groups or entire flocks. During the breeding season, flamingos engage in group displays that include a repertoire of ritualized movements. These displays feature head-flagging, where the birds repeatedly stretch their necks and twist their heads side to side, as well as wing-saluting, which involves flashing their vibrant pink and black wing feathers. Another common behavior is “marching,” where flamingos move in tightly packed groups, stepping rhythmically in unison.
These displays serve multiple purposes: they strengthen pair bonds, ensure synchrony among breeding individuals, and help establish hierarchies within the group. Bonaire’s large flamingo colonies in the Pekelmeer Flamingo Sanctuary provide an ideal stage for these courtship dances, with the vast, undisturbed salt flats offering ample space for these rituals to unfold.
Breeding behavior: a collaborative process.
Once pairs are established, breeding begins in earnest. Flamingos are colonial nesters, meaning they breed in large groups that can range from hundreds to thousands of individuals. This communal strategy offers protection against predators and promotes a higher likelihood of reproductive success. Bonaire’s saline lagoons, particularly those in and around the Pekelmeer Flamingo Sanctuary, provide a haven where these birds can breed with minimal disturbance. The sanctuary’s seclusion ensures safety for these highly sensitive birds during this critical phase of their life cycle.
Nesting: mud mounds in salty wetlands.
Nesting for American Flamingos involves constructing unique mud mounds that stand between 12 and 24 inches tall. These conical structures have a small depression at the top, designed to cradle a single egg. The height of the nest protects the egg from flooding, intense sunlight, and potential predators. Flamingos carefully select nesting sites with access to abundant mud and minimal disturbance—conditions that Bonaire’s saline-rich landscapes provide in abundance.
The Pekelmeer Flamingo Sanctuary is particularly significant in this regard. Its expansive salt flats and lagoons offer an ideal combination of resources for nest construction, while the high salinity deters many predators. These factors make Bonaire one of the most important breeding grounds for flamingos in the entire Caribbean region.
Incubation and chick development.
After laying a single egg, both parents share incubation duties, a process that lasts about 27 to 31 days. This shared responsibility underscores the strong pair bond flamingos maintain throughout the breeding season. Once the chick hatches, it is covered in gray down and completely reliant on its parents for nourishment.
Within weeks, the chicks join crèches, or communal nurseries, where hundreds of young flamingos are cared for collectively. This arrangement allows parents to alternate between foraging and chick-rearing duties.
Bonaire’s conservation efforts.
The American Flamingo is a protected species on Bonaire. The island is home to the Pekelmeer Flamingo Sanctuary, a 55-square-kilometer protected area that serves as one of only four major breeding sites for the species in the Caribbean. This sanctuary is strictly off-limits to the public, ensuring that the birds can breed and nest without human interference.
Bonaire’s salt mining industry has also played a surprising role in conservation. The salt flats, a byproduct of salt production, have created additional suitable habitats for flamingos to forage and nest. This harmonious coexistence between industry and conservation exemplifies Bonaire’s commitment to preserving its natural heritage.
Challenges and the path ahead.
Despite the island’s protected habitat, American Flamingos still face several challenges. Rising sea levels and changing salinity patterns due to climate change threaten the delicate balance of their habitat. Human activity near protected areas and invasive predators, such as feral cats, pose additional risks. Yearly invasions of Sargassum seaweed might interrupt the chicks’ development, causing them to be malnourished and underweight. Continued vigilance in habitat preservation, coupled with global efforts to address climate change, will be crucial to ensuring the survival of these iconic birds.
American Flamingo
(Phoenicopterus ruber)
Diet: Small shrimp, seeds, blue-green algae, microscopic organisms, and mollusks
Breeding: Lays 1 egg
Status: Least Concern
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About the author:
Susan has been living on Bonaire for over 30 years. She is a certified bird guide, as well as a topside and underwater photographer. She is a 2016 graduate of the Caribbean Birding Trail Interpretive Guide Course conducted by BirdsCaribbean.
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Contact Susan via email, Facebook Messenger, call Susan or use the online form below.
If you have any questions about your Bonaire birding tour, feel free to contact Susan for answers. She is always willing to go into more detail about routes or the best times for a tour based on your personal preferences. Tours can be tailored to your interests, whether that be birds, photography, or both!
It is also a good idea to do some homework on the birds of Bonaire before you come. Knowing a little about the birds you might encounter on your tour will make your experience even more enjoyable!
Be sure to check out these resources for birding on Bonaire. Also, reading the Bird Blog will introduce you to the birds that might be observed on Bonaire.
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