Rapid and long-distance dispersal of juvenile Andean Flamingo (Phoenicoparrus andinus) from Bolivia to Peru

Roca J.H.; Ayala-Navarro J.J.; Ortiz E. · Hornero (2025) · DOI: 10.56178/eh.v40i2.1526

Resumen

The Andean Flamingo (Phoenicoparrus andinus) is globally categorized as Vulnerable and primarily inhabits high Andean lagoons across the Altiplano, from northwestern Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile to southern Peru. In July 2023, two six-month-old ringed juvenile individuals were recorded at Lake Parinacochas (southern Peru), both originating from Lake Colorada (southern Bolivia), having dispersed approximately 1000 km. These records provide evidence of a remarkable capacity for rapid, long-distance dispersal at an early age, exceeding previous reports that mainly involve subadult and adult individuals. Such movements are likely influenced by both intrinsic (body condition and genetic predisposition) and extrinsic factors (resource availability and climatic conditions). These findings add to other observations of juvenile dispersal in Caribbean and Greater flamingos, underscoring the importance of continued ringing and monitoring, which is essential to understand migratory processes and their implications for the conservation of species highly sensitive to the degradation of high-Andean ecosystems.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de San Cristóbal de Huamanga