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The first flamingos of the season have arrived at Larnaca Salt Lake. But the bird turning heads this week was spotted across the island at Akrotiri, where a flamingo with black wings was photographed wading among its pink flockmates.
Photos shared by Konstantinos Savva in the KYNIGI-HUNTING Facebook group show the bird searching for food in the shallows. Its dark wings make it easy to pick out from the flock, though its neck, bill and long legs are still pink. The unusual coloring is attributed to melanism, a rare genetic trait that causes extra dark pigment in the feathers.
For anyone planning a weekend walk by Larnaca Salt Lake, the first arrivals are already there. How big the flock gets over the next few weeks depends in part on the rain. Enough rainfall helps maintain the shallow water where flamingos feed.
Larnaca and Akrotiri’s salt lakes, along with Lake Oroklini, are regular winter stops for flamingos after they leave their breeding grounds. The birds are among thousands of migrants that spend the colder months in Cyprus each year.
Photo: Konstantinos Antoniadis/Facebook
