A ROSE PINK HAZE OF ANDEAN FLAMINGOS
Preening their feathery tutus like a troupe of ballerinas, flamingos are enduringly elegant. Covering a colour spectrum from candyfloss to crimson, they always look pretty in pink.
See them en masse and it’s easy to understand why the spindly legged birds are collectively known as a flamboyance – especially when they engage in an unconventional courtship dance. Synchronised head flagging is a cue for an impressive group march involving a combination of moves, ranging from head-turning to wing-flapping and a “bottoms up” flashy display.
But only the most brightly attired performers are given a place on the stage, depending on how pink their plumage has become. Exhausted mothers, whose pigments have drained from rearing chicks, must spend time eating algae to get their distinctive blush back. A scientific study in Spain even suggested the vain birds might be applying make-up in the form of oil secreted from glands in tail feathers, which helps dye plumes.
Find Andean flamingos hotfooting across the salt pans of Chile’s Atacama Desert, where high-altitude blue skies present a fitting backdrop. Or head across the border to Bolivia’s Laguna Colorada for an even greater spectacle as birds skim across a scarlet-hued volcanic lagoon rich in minerals and algae, described by indigenous communities as the blood of gods. Although the timing of courtship dances depends on climatic conditions, December to February is usually your best bet.
Cox & Kings (020 3813 2966; coxandkings.co.uk) offers a 16-night Journey Through the Andes group tour from £3,900 per person, including international flights. Departs Sept 9 and Oct 7 2021.