Lakes that host flamingos

Lake Bogoria, the favorite spot

Lake Bogoria, located about 250 kilometers northwest of Nairobi, hosts a large population of the pink birds, probably because of abundant blue-green algae — the primary food source for flamingos — minimal competition and less predators.

The lake is home to both greater and lesser flamingos, the latter being particularly abundant. Greater flamingos are bigger and taller and have light pink beaks with a black tip. The lesser flamingos, on the other hand, have a deeper pink color on their feathers and their beaks are deep red with a black tip.

However, there are times that the number of flamingos fluctuates in all the three lakes, depending on the food availability and mating season.

James Kimaru, a senior warden at Lake Bogoria National Reserve, said that during the mating season, most flamingos migrate to Lake Natron, an alkaline lake in northern Tanzania near the Kenyan border, to breed.