Birds
James's Flamingo
Phoenicoparrus jamesi · also called puna flamingo
Believed extinct for decades before a breeding colony turned up on a remote high-Andean salt lake, James’s flamingo is the smallest of all flamingo species, filtering microscopic algae with a bill narrower than any of its relatives.
Overview
James’s flamingo, Phoenicoparrus jamesi, is a Near Threatened waterbird native to wetland and mountain habitat across the high Andes of Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru. Its dramatic presumed extinction and rediscovery, its status as the smallest flamingo species, and its uniquely narrow bill make it one of the more remarkable flamingo species found anywhere in the Andes.
A species found again after being written off
For decades, James’s flamingo existed only in old records and museum specimens, until researchers finally located a living breeding colony on a remote salt lake high in the Andes, turning presumed extinction into one of the more striking rediscoveries in South American ornithology.
Status
Near Threatened, having recovered somewhat since its rediscovery, though ongoing disturbance at remote high-altitude breeding lakes keeps the species at risk.
James's Flamingo: common questions
Was James's flamingo ever believed extinct?
Yes, this species was believed extinct for several decades until a breeding colony was rediscovered on a remote high-Andean salt lake in the mid-twentieth century.
How does James's flamingo compare in size with other flamingos?
This species is the smallest of all flamingo species, noticeably more compact than its close relatives, including the Andean and Chilean flamingos found across the same region.
Why does James's flamingo have such a narrow bill?
This species has an unusually narrow, deep-based bill adapted to filtering the specific microscopic algae species found in the highly saline high-altitude lakes it inhabits.
Does James's flamingo mix with other flamingo species?
Yes, this species often forms large mixed flocks alongside the Andean and Chilean flamingos at productive high-altitude salt lakes across the Andes.