600 flamingo chicks ringed at Malaga lagoon in 40th anniversary event

Something stunning, beautiful and cute happens at Fuente de Piedra every summer that most visitors never get to see. This year marked four decades of it, and the numbers this year were incredible.

600 flamingo chicks ringed in 40th anniversary event

Fuente de Piedra Nature Reserve in Malaga celebrated the 40th anniversary of its flamingo ringing programme by tagging 600 greater flamingo chicks this weekend, the third-best result since the tradition began in 1986. More than 400 volunteers, coordinated by the Andalucian regional government, completed the operation in around four hours during the early morning.

Andalucia’s environment chief, Fina Martinez, thanked everyone involved, calling the event proof that conservation depends on cooperation between scientists, officials and local people. Fuente de Piedra’s mayor, Siro Pachon, joined the event with technicians from the regional environment agency and vets from Cordoba Zoo, who were on hand to help treat any birds injured during capture.

What 40 years of data has shown

More than 21,000 chicks have been ringed since 1986, out of roughly 270,000 flamingos born at the lagoon since monitoring started in 1984. Each ring carries a code that can be read from a distance, so researchers can track individual birds without catching them again.

Results have been strong: over 70% of ringed birds have been spotted at least once, adding up to more than 167,000 sightings across 23 countries, from Guinea-Bissau to Cyprus. About a third of repeat sightings happen back at Fuente de Piedra, showing how strongly flamingos return to where they hatched.

Heavy rain behind this year’s bumper breeding season

Rainfall made the difference this year. Spain’s 2025/26 hydrological year brought 663 litres per square metre to the area, the fourth-highest total in 50 years, and pushed the lagoon to a peak depth of 101cm in March, well above the usual 50cm. Better isolation from predators followed, and 35,177 breeding pairs nested at the site, the highest number recorded since tracking began in 1984. Protected as a Wetland of International Importance since 1983 and covered by the EU’s Natura 2000 network, Fuente de Piedra is also home to common cranes and gull-billed terns.