My birding friend, Ahmer Ali Rizvi had been working on a documentary on flamingoes and I was excited to contribute content for it however possible. So when we found out from our birder friends that a flock of flamingoes had landed on our coastal belt, near Karachi, it couldn’t have been better timed for us to get more footage.

Since the best time to shoot images is just after sunrise and before 9am — as after that the light becomes harsh — it wasn’t dawn yet when we set off towards our destination.

As we approached that coastal spot (location deliberately undisclosed to protect it from poachers), we were nothing less than excited kids who had been offered candy. Our eyes feasted on a huge group of flamingoes enjoying their breakfast buffet. Folks from our birding group had estimated that there were over a thousand birds that day. Most birders are particularly interested in photographing this bird, its graceful flight and wide wingspan being an endearing combination.

Although flamingoes are resident birds and mostly indigenous to this area, migratory ones arrive each season from India on their way back to European lands. Getting to see hundreds of flamingoes in Karachi is a rare occurrence, however, thanks to rapid and unplanned urbanisation, reclamation around the coastal areas, and poaching, not to mention the over 400m gallons of untreated effluent dumped into the sea every day. Once, there used to be several flamingoes around the Mai Kolachi water body as well, but they have now vanished because of the above-mentioned reasons.

Considering that we have not been able to sustain an environment conducive for wildlife, and the pungent smell in the air around our ports because of the presence of contaminants, it’s a surprise and a blessing to witness flamingoes moving about and feeding around the mangroves. Because of the high tide at that particular time, they were in such close proximity that they were highly audible, their nasal honking like music to our ears.

Flamingoes are indigenous to our coastal areas but their habitats are increasingly under pressure leading to fewer sightings of the magnificent bird. Nevertheless, last month saw the arrival of thousands of pink and white plumes near Karachi

“During my multiple visits to this area we usually find ‘greater flamingoes’ [the largest of the species of the flamingo family],” says Nusrat Ali, an avid birder and an exceptional spotter.

“I’ve noticed that they are always accompanied by offspring of different age and sizes. It is a testament that they can thrive in our country provided humans give them peace, mangroves to reside in and shrimps to feed on. During my last visit in July 2021, I recorded a huge flock of over 1,500 birds, a sight to behold and cherish.”

Ali’s presence is often sought after in birding trips because of his colossal knowledge of bird species and his spectacular spotting of birds in camouflaged areas.

Flamingoes are highly gregarious, wading birds found in saltwater bodies. They have gracefully long necks, slender legs, and thick downturned bills to feed on planktons and crustaceans. Because of their unique feeding characteristic, they are also known as ‘filter feeders’.

The flamingo species that are found here are the ‘greater flamingoes’ which range from three to five feet in height, although there have been rare sightings of ‘lesser flamingoes’ as well. Flamingoes have a lifespan of 20 years, which may increase up to 30 years in captivity. Interestingly, their pink hue is the result of feeding on crustaceans such as shrimps which contain beta carotene. Greater flamingoes are relatively taller, with a more whitish plumage as opposed to pink and have pink beaks with dark tips.

According to a shocking fact, in ancient Rome, flamingo tongues were eaten as a rare delicacy and it was considered a luxurious dish by the elite. The word flamingo itself has been derived from a Portuguese word ‘flamenco’ which means ‘the colour of flame’, since the colour of their feathers looks like hot embers in the bright morning sunlight.

In Pakistan, flamingoes are mostly found along the coastal belt of Sindh and Balochistan. They sometimes rest in sweetwater lakes as well during long-haul migrations.

The flamingoes found in Sindh and Balochistan briefly migrate towards Indian Gujarat’s salt marsh known as The Great Rann of Kutch, one of the largest salt deserts in the world and renowned for being the biggest breeding ground for flamingoes in South Asia. One reason that flamingoes are being seen on our coastal belt in great numbers these days is their return from the Rann of Kutch.

“What I saw in June and July this year was a sight to behold,” declares Khizar Sharif, a hobby wildlife photographer and a certified diver who has decided to explore the skies as well.

“Never in the past three years have I seen so many flamingoes land in Karachi. I’m not sure if they’ve come back in such large numbers because of Covid-19 restrictions, as human intervention is limited and these birds feel at ease. Conservation efforts here, unfortunately, are next to none but we can only hope for some betterment. We must call for a public-private partnership to protect these birds and perhaps flamingoes should be declared as the symbol of preservation in Karachi.”

Greater flamingoes are somewhat at risk in Pakistan, unlike perhaps in other parts of the world. Several factors are collectively forcing these beautiful birds to shift to other abodes. The Sindh Wildlife Department has been active in penalising poachers and actively releasing poached flamingoes recently. Yet, there is a lot that needs to be done at a national level to safeguard our overall bird habitat and it is everyone’s responsibility to report cases of poaching or wild birds being sold for sadqa.

This summer, we were happy to be able to document substantial footage of flamingoes and with the documentary now complete, it can now be viewed on Youtube’s Sindh Wildlife Club account.

Heba is a communication professional, an artist and a wildlife photographer. She can be reached at moeen.hiba@gmail.com

Ahmer is a sales and marketing professional who works on wildlife documentaries. He can be reached at ahmeralirizvi@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, EOS, August 15th, 2021