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Ría Lagartos, Yucatán — Under an ongoing conservation program, 585 more flamingos were recently tagged at the Ría Lagartos Natural Protected Area on the coast.
Authorities estimate 40,000 flamingos live in the area, the largest number reported since 2015.
Since the flamingo monitoring program began in 1987, 5,973 tags have been placed on their strong, spindly legs.
In June, conservationists declared a banner year for the flamingos, with a record 21,960 nests counted in the 233-square-mile reserve in the northeast corner of the Yucatán Peninsula.
The program makes it possible for them to follow and observe the behavior of these distinctive pink birds in Mexico and the Caribbean.
The national commissioner, Alejandro Del Mazo Maza, pointed out that thanks to the satellite transmitters placed in five flamingos, it was possible to verify that the same population of this species moves between Mexico and Cuba.
Since 2002, Fundación Pedro and Elena Hernández A.C. has collaborated directly with the conservation program Flamenco del Caribe in Yucatán, in coordination with CONANP, the federal agency that oversees protected wildlife area.
Bárbara Hernández, president of foundation, commented that this effort has set a precedent for international success on the recovery of the iconic species.
Tagging involves the placement of two rings on the flamenco’s legs, a plastic one with an identification number, and a metallic one with contact and identification data.
The Ría Lagartos zone is Mexico’s most critical flamingo breeding habitat.
