RECORD numbers of birds have flocked to Cyprus’ wetlands this winter as their migration patterns have coincided with extensive rainfall over the months of September and October according to the Game and Fauna Fund.
“Around 20,000 flamingos were recorded in Cyprus during December which is a record and we also saw between 15,000 and 16,000 flamingos recorded in November which is also a record,” senior member of the Game and Fauna Fund, Nikos Kassinis said yesterday.
Overall around 25,000 birds in total were recorded in Cyprus during December which, according to Cyprus Birdlife campaigns manager, Martin Hellicar, is down to a number of reasons. “The first factor is the weather conditions further north in Turkey, and with temperatures there dropping rapidly, many birds have flown to Cyprus to warmer climes,” he explained. “The second factor is having the right levels of water in our salt lakes, which there was, thanks to all the rain we had in September and October,” he continued. “And the third factor is having an adequate amount of brine shrimps, flamingos’ main source of food, in the lakes,” he concluded.
Flamingos’ main destinations in Cyprus are the salt lakes in Akrotiri and Larnaca although some can also be seen at Oroklini marsh according to Hellicar.
Despite record numbers of birds descending onto the island’s salt lakes and wetlands there was a decline in the number of wild ducks spotted in Cyprus. “In December, under 2,000 wild ducks were counted,” Kassinis said. “This is because ducks are considered winter birds and during December we had unseasonably high temperatures,” he explained.
According to the Game and Fauna Fund, the duck population has fluctuated from 3,500 in 2010 to 4,500 in 2011 reaching a low of 1,700 last year. In contrast, the numbers of flamingos has risen, with just 3,500 recorded on the island in 2010, 12,000 in 2011, and reaching 20,000 last year.
The year that passed also saw the first instance of flamingos attempting to mate. “General conditions on the island were conducive to breeding,” Hellicar told the Cyprus Mail. “Unfortunately there was no success for what would have been the first ever time those types of birds had managed to mate,” he explained.
Attempting to count the amount of birds coming and going from the island is not an easy task according to Hellicar. “If you are trying to count the birds you will need a telescope and a good viewing point,” he explained. “But because the birds are constantly moving you can really only count in tens and hundreds,” he added. “Any number you get will always be an estimate,” he concluded.
The birds are expected to leave towards the end of winter, around March, but that depends largely on the water levels.
