Extreme Weather Leaves Flamingos Hungry

[phantom power]

The full title of this article is "Code Pink: Extreme weather..." Which causes me to wonder why the author thinks that news of yet another species succumbing to starvation from climate change is such a goddamned knee-slapper.

Science Daily — Lesser flamingos (Phoeniconaias minor) at Lake Bogoria, Kenya, are suffering from malnutrition, report Earthwatch-supported scientists working there. The scientists are investigating the causes of recent large-scale mortality events, resulting in the death of thousands of lesser flamingos in Kenya last year and at least half a million birds during the 1990s.

Post-mortem examinations on several flamingos found dead at Bogoria in late 2006 revealed that the birds weighed just 63 per cent of their normal body mass, approximately 1,050 grams. An analysis of the lake water confirmed that very low levels of spirulina (a blue-green bacteria that is the primary food source for lesser flamingos) were leaving the birds with only 10 per cent of their minimum daily food requirements.

"Based on these findings, it appears that starvation needs to be included in the possible causes of flamingo mortality," said Dr. David Harper of University of Leicester, principal investigator of Earthwatch's Flamingos of the Rift Valley project. Earthwatch-supported scientists believe that heavy rains led to swollen seasonal streams, bringing water and high sediment concentrations into the lake that diluted the food supply.

(...)

"Clearly the birds are looking for an emergency food supply," said veterinarian Dr. Lindsay Oakes, from Washington State University. "Unfortunately they are putting themselves at risk of predation by feeding in open spaces." Several flamingos observed to be captured and killed by marabou storks were found to be in very poor body condition, suggesting that these victims were malnourished. "They may also suffer from poisoning as the blue--green bacteria found in hot streams are more likely to produce dangerous toxins."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070116212044.htm

[SteppingRazor]

1. In fairness to the author ...

writers rarely write their own headlines. That duty usually falls to the copy editor or an associate or managing editor.

[BonnieJW]

2. How tragic!

This makes my heart ache. These lovely creatures on this earth are the first victims (corals, eagle chicks, flamingos, polar bears). This is more than enough to cause me panic, but there are some who think "Well it's not happening to me."

Pardon my ignorance, but when I hear about flooding and drought, I always think it would be a good thing to build national water pipelines throughout countries. When there is flood in one area, the water can be pumped to where it is needed. It would probably cost much less than a war.

[pitohui]

3. there's a political problem with this

old treaties signed by the british with egypt restrain kenya and tanzania from tapping the fresh water resources of lake victoria

kenya has stated that they are about at the point where they're willing to go to war over the matter and tanzania has several villages already quietly diverting water from lake victoria but egypt, one of the richest and most powerful nations in africa, is not likely to tolerate too much diversion of fresh water by these relatively poor and powerless nations