The Ría Celestún Biosphere Reserve has as its “flag species” the flamingo, a beautiful bird that, flying in groups of hundreds, paints the Yucatecan skies pink. Help us protect it!
The morning surprises us with a humid heat. We are approaching one of the saline lagoons of Ría Celestún. Suddenly, a noise, like a broken murmur, breaks the tranquility of dawn. Little by little, that murmur fades and allows us to discover one of the most beautiful spectacles of nature: a flock of pink flamingos that start a new day.
Located northwest of the Yucatan Peninsula, the Ría Celestún Biosphere Reserve was decreed as such in the year 2000 to protect the fragile ecosystem formed by the hypersaline estuaries, lagoons of low depth and high concentration of salts that are, along with other lagoons on the Peninsula, home to the only colony of Pink flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) in the northern hemisphere. Furthermore, its importance is reinforced by being a feeding and resting area for a large number of migratory birds.
The geographical position of this reserve -on the coastal strip of the Gulf of mexico, where the states of Campeche and Yucatán adjoin - and its extension of almost 81,500 hectares, give it a great diversity of coastal tropical ecosystems ranging from mangroves to dunes, passing through various types of lowland forest. Due, Ría Celestún houses an important variety of fauna species, about 600, of which the high number of fish and birds stands out, in addition to being notable the presence of numerous endemisms or species that only inhabit a certain region. To give us an idea of this abundance, the total number of birds registered in the reserve - approximately 300 species- is equivalent to almost a third of all birds in Mexico.
The quintessential pink emblem
His striking coloration, together with his extravagant shape and elegant manners, make him what conservationists refer to as “charismatic species"Or more formally,"flag species", Which are simply those that, due to their undeniable attractiveness to society, allow us to use them as emblem to conserve an entire ecosystem. Classic examples of campaigns that have used this type of species to sensitize the world population are the panda bear, the whales or the big cats. Maybe the flamingos do not have as much impact in global terms, but definitely, their presence was definitive to promote the decree of the Ría Celestún Biosphere Reserve and with this, achieve the conservation of an ecosystem that houses hundreds of other valuable species.
Nature extravaganza
There are several elements that make the Flemish a true rarity: its color, which ranges from a pale pink to a crimson red, is the result of a diet based on small crustaceans; or its stylized shape, long and curvilinear neck and slender legs that give it one of the most elegant gaits in the animal kingdom; the Pink flamingo It is without a doubt a show that does not leave the observer indifferent. Perhaps one of its most curious elements is the peak, whose shape and colors so striking at first glance hide a true work of engineering designed to work upside down as a filter, with which they trap algae, mollusks, crustaceans and other small microorganisms that inhabit hypersaline lagoons.
Another of their most picturesque characteristics is the way they raise their chickens. Every year, the female of the pair of flamingos –monogamous, by the way - will deposit a single egg on top of a small accumulation of mud. So far, nothing differs much from other species of birds, however, what is really extraordinary is the way they feed the chicken.
In the early stages of growth, the parents (female and male) secrete into glands located in the digestive tract, a liquid substance, a kind of "milk”High in fat and protein, which they feed their young when their beaks are still in the early stages of development. Only a few other species of birds - such as some pigeons or penguins - share this rarity with the Flemish, However, the "milk”Of this bird has a particular characteristic. its bright red color resembling blood gave rise to curious myths popular with the first naturalists, who believed that the mother fed her children with her own blood.
1001 reasons why take care of them
But without a doubt, if there is something that makes the Flemish in one of the most attractive species to observe is its character gregarious. The huge concentrations of flamingos that we find in the Ría Celestún Biosphere Reserve, which reach several thousand individuals, are one of the most amazing spectacles of nature. In the distance, they could remind us of a huge pink mass that moves to an imperceptible rhythm. But it's when they kick in that the scene becomes really interesting. Sometimes, when the birds are pressured by some external factor - predators or overconfident tourists - they flee in terror in a winged "stampede" that begins with a hasty race of thousands of birds mixed in a whirlwind of legs, necks and wings until they lift off in a majestic aerial formation.
Ría Celestún It is one of those places where ecotourism can make a difference in the conservation of the ecosystem, if it is carried out based on rigorous ethical principles. If the number of visitors is kept limited to an annual quota and the boats respect a distance with the birds, the operation will allow many people each year to enjoy the wonderful spectacle of seeing a flock of flamingos. With a little effort and awareness, we will be able to ensure that in the future, these elegant birds last and continue to melt into the crimson red of the Yucatecan sunsets.
