Drought makes Bioparc only spot for flamingos to reproduce in Malaga

The drought has made Bioparc the only point in Malaga where flamingos can reproduce.

Antonio Garrucho who is in charge of Zoology at Bioparc, Fuengirola said “Climate change has accentuated the shortage of water and broken the balance of the wetlands. Take the Fuente de Piedra Lagoon as an example, the drought has turned it into an extension of the land covered in salt.”

“Many other Spanish wetlands face this reality aggravated by the intense drought we are suffering from.”

This drought has made Bioparc the only point in Malaga where you will be able to view the entire courtship, nesting and egg-laying process of flamingos.

The Bio Parc team have been working hard to make sure the flamingo beach at the parc is in optimal conditions for the 60 specimens that they house to begin mating.

They must ensure that the beach the flamingos occupy is as similar to a brackish water swamp, a place where flamingos, in their natural habitat, build their nests and lay their eggs.

To do this, various types of clay and salt are used, a substance that stimulates them to approach the designated area.

At the same time, the Zoology team floods part of this space, generating mud that will make it easier for them to build nests in the coming weeks.

In April the flamingos showed their keepers the signs that they were ready for the reproductive season as they stretch their necks, spread their wings and turn their heads whilst walking rapidly and changing direction suddenly. These movements indicate the beginning of courtship and the starting point of their reproduction.