Kenya's iconic flamingos lose their pink as rift valley lakes change

The famous pink flamingos of Kenya's Rift Valley are fading in both colour and numbers as changing lake conditions threaten their fragile ecosystem.

Scientists say rising water levels, driven by heavier rainfall and other environmental factors, are altering the chemistry of the alkaline lakes that sustain the birds. As the lakes become less alkaline and more like freshwater, the cyanobacteria that flamingos feed on are disappearing.

Paul Gacheru, Species Programme Manager, Nature Kenya:

"What is happening in this case is that the alkaline lakes in the Rift Valley area, the water levels have been increasing which have been attributed to rain and in some aspects which have not been quantified yet, issues of geology and as the water rises, the Rift Valley lakes are becoming more fresh water. So if you see places like Bogoria, it is almost touching Lake Baringo and in that case the water chemistry changes, which is affecting the food base of the lesser flamingo so in that case, we are not finding as many flamingos as you would initially find in these lakes because there is not much food for them."

Flamingos depend on cyanobacteria, a microscopic organism rich in carotenoid pigments that gives the birds their distinctive pink feathers. As this food source declines, experts say the birds not only lose their colour but are also forced to migrate in search of more suitable habitats.

The changes are already visible at several Rift Valley lakes, including Elementaita and Bogoria, where flamingo populations have fallen sharply compared with previous years.

Paul Gacheru, Species Programme Manager, Nature Kenya:

"Flamingos are characterised by them being pink in colour and the pink colour pigmentation of their feathers is highly associated with the food that they eat. So as the flamingo grows from a chick through to an adult; the pink colour is mainly of adults not of any other age groups of the flamingo and this is associated by the food that they eat because the algae that they feed on the cyanobacteria is considered to provide that pigment to the flamingo and in this case if the quantities of the cyanobacteria is low you find that the pigmentation becomes a bit more reduced."

Researchers say the flamingos are acting as an early warning system for broader environmental change. Rising lake levels, shifting rainfall patterns, pollution and increasing human activity are all placing pressure on the wetlands that support one of Africa's most iconic wildlife spectacles.

Conservationists warn that protecting these fragile ecosystems will be critical to ensuring future generations can continue to witness the spectacular pink flocks that have long defined Kenya's Great Rift Valley.