Chilean scientists track flamingos by satellite to preserve dwindling population

The flamingo population in Chile's Los Flamencos national reserve is dwindling and scientists are trying to find out where the long-legged, pink-plumed birds are going. According to Guillermo Cubillos, head of the conservation and investigations unit for Chile's National Zoo, the number of flamingos sighted is much lower than two years ago. Cubillos said that while between 100 and 150 flamingos were detected last year in the reserve in the country's north, just 15 to 20 were accounted for this year. "Threats like climate change, mining - in this case lithium- could potentially be a direct threat to this species and their habitat," he said, noting that flamingos were highly sensitive to any environmental changes, including noise from trucks and other human activity. To find out where flamingos are going, scientists are trapping the birds and attaching satellite transmitters to track their movements and see where they feed, breed and how they use their environment. That data will be used to propose conservation sites and direct conservation efforts for the three species of flamingos in the area, Cubillos said, adding that high-altitude lagoons and wetlands are very fragile ecosystems. Cubillos said the flamingo conservation project is also to provide science-based evidence to make decisions regarding land use, noting that the area where the reserve was located was important for mining and biodiversity. - Report from Reuters Visit our website at http://news.abs-cbn.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abscbnNEWS Twitter: https://twitter.com/abscbnnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abscbnnews