Newsroom
A video clip showing pink flamingos in moments of intense courtship has gone viral in Cyprus, following up on a photo that showed eager males trying to impress a single female during mating season.
Hundreds of nature lovers and bird enthusiasts on social media have been commenting and sharing a video in which a flamboyance of male flamingos appear to participate in an elaborate and loud group dance to get female attention.
The video was shot by Savvas Nicolaides, who posted the clip on “Landscapes of Cyprus” page on Facebook.
Nicolaides shot the video on Friday morning at Aliki Salt Lake in Larnaca, capturing the flamboyance in all its glory, while a day earlier a photo he had posted from Oroklini showed the group standing in front of a female.
The video shows moments when the birds are head-flagging -moving their heads side to side looking like a flag in the wind- or flapping their wings -known as wing saluting- all of which are elaborate dance moves in which flamingos engage in intense courtship display and show off bright feather colors to attract a mate.
Despite flamingos being very social, the magnificent birds are serially monogamous for the duration of a mating season
Despite flamingos being very social, hanging around and nesting in large groups, the magnificent birds are serially monogamous for the duration of a mating season.
After a male and female choose each other, he jumps onto her back from behind, firmly planting his feet on her wing joints. After mating, the male stands on the female's back, then jumps off over her head.
Pink flamingos depend on wetlands for survival and do not have a distinct mating season but instead breed when water levels and food availability are adequate.
Thousands of pink flamingos take residence in Cyprus between middle of fall and early spring, when the island’s salt lakes offer plenty of food that is easy on their digestive system.
