Pink flamingos return to Kazakhstan’s capital in time for World Migratory Bird Day

The birds person been flocking to Maly Taldykol, a tiny earthy water successful the centre of the city, attracting admirers from adjacent high-rise buildings and each around.

Historically, pinkish flamingos, pelicans and different migratory birds, person chosen nesting sites successful lakes successful the Korgalzhyn State Nature Reserve, portion of a UNESCO World Heritage site, astir 130 kilometres southwest of the capital.

This year, the flamingos again returned to Nur-Sultan, a stopping constituent connected their agelong travel south.

Witnesses to change

Approximately 2,000 of the world’s 11,000 vertebrate taxon migrate, with immoderate covering tremendous distances, utilizing wide pathways known arsenic flyways which span aggregate countries.  World Migratory Bird Day connected 9 October celebrates them, and nature.

“Migratory birds carnivore witnesser to and are impacted by, the triple planetary situation of clime change, biodiversity nonaccomplishment and pollution,” said Inger Andersen, caput of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

“Making advancement connected reigning successful clime alteration and ending biodiversity nonaccomplishment is captious to the endurance of migratory birds. The travel of a migratory vertebrate knows nary borders and therefore, neither should our effect to the planetary crisis.”

Nur-Sultan is located successful cardinal Kazakhstan, successful a semi-arid steppe portion which covers astir of the Central Asian country.

The country surrounding Maly Taldykol water erstwhile stretched for endless kilometres. In caller years, modern high-rise buildings person sprung up astir the reservoir pursuing the transportation of the superior from the south, successful 1997.

Stopping to refuel

Ruslan Urazaliev, an ornithologist and researcher astatine the Kazakh Association for Biodiversity Conservation, explained wherefore his state is simply a haven for migratory birds.

“Since Kazakhstan is geographically located successful the centre of the continent, 2 migration routes walk done the cardinal portion of the country, namely done our superior -- Afro-Eurasian and Central Asian -- and, accordingly, a immense watercourse of birds passes done this territory," helium said.

The adept recalled that the nearest nesting colony of flamingos is successful the Korgalzhyn reserve.  Those who flew to the superior came successful hunt of food, and to remainder up, earlier heading to warmer climes.

“Lake Maly Taldykol is emblematic for flamingos. They tin filter h2o connected it and hunt invertebrates. Flamingos emotion shallow lakes,” said Mr. Urazaliev.

Last week, helium counted 83 flamingos wrong the Taldykol water system.  The majority, 63, were adults.  The others were grey, indicating they were inactive young, but “in a year, the birds volition statesman to get their celebrated pinkish colour.”

. Photo: Mark Anderson

Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor). They go pinkish lone aft respective years, indicating galore of the birds passing done Nur-Sultan are young. Photo: Mark Anderson

Just passing through

How agelong the flamingos volition stay successful Nur-Sultan is unknown. In the Korgalzhyn reserve, they usually enactment until the water is covered with ice.

Forecasters are predicting frosty upwind this week, and Mr. Urazaliev believes their sojourn to the superior volition beryllium fleeting.  The city, including Maly Taldykol lake, is “not a territory for wintering”, and the flamingos volition beryllium astir for arsenic agelong arsenic upwind conditions and nutrient allow.

“Their ‘meteorological service’ works amended than a human’s, and they cognize amended erstwhile to move. They volition not enactment for the wintertime unambiguously,” helium said, though adding weaker birds “may simply not beryllium capable to alert away.”

Until then, the emotion matter continues betwixt the residents of Nur-Sultan and their feathered friends, and conscionable successful clip for World Migratory Bird Day, erstwhile radical are encouraged to link and re-connect with nature.

The Day is celebrated doubly a year, connected the 2nd Saturday successful May and October, successful designation of the cyclical quality of vertebrate migration and the antithetic highest times on the flyways.