The sighting of a pink flamingo, which has taken up short-term residency at the Malportas Pond in North Side, has been thrilling Cayman Islands residents.
The recent blustery cold-front weather brought the special visitor to Cayman over the holiday weekend and it has been creating a stir ever since among wildlife lovers.
The usually quiet National Trust reserve site has been abuzz with activity since news of the rare sighting started to spread.
“When I heard about it, I immediately shared the information on our Facebook page and the post went viral,” National Trust Environmental Programmes Manager Catherine Childs told the Cayman Compass Tuesday.
“Since the bird arrived over the Christmas holidays, people took advantage of the time to have a little adventure and go look for this remarkable and gorgeous bird. I heard that there was a steady stream of cars and a festival atmosphere at the site as people drove in and saw the infamous big pink bird for themselves.”
She said the flamingo arrived with the recent cold front and was probably blown in from Cuba.
“It’s not uncommon for flamingos and other birds to get caught up in a storm and blown off course. We don’t see flamingos in Cayman very often though, so it is very exciting that this beautiful bird is visiting our shores,” she said.
Local photographer Seb Nehme, of Seb Nehme Photography, was among the excited visitors seeking to capture pictures of the bird.
He said he first learned that the flamingo was spotted at the pond through a bird watch WhatsApp group over the weekend, and he knew he had to see it for himself.
“Usually these birds migrate through this area and they go either to South America or they go to Cuba because that’s where you would mostly see these birds, or even [in] South Florida. So to see it here is a very rare occasion… The assumption is that it got lost from its group,” Nehme told the Cayman Compass in a telephone interview Tuesday afternoon.
The last sighting of this species of bird in the wild in Cayman was back in 2014 when nine pink flamingos were blown off course during a storm in November that year and took up residence at the same pond in North Side.
Jane Haakonsson, Department of Environment terrestrial research officer, told the Compass Tuesday that the bird is the American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) which “is considered a casual visitor to the Cayman Islands throughout the year, [though] sightings of this stunning species have been scarce in recent years”.
She recounted the 2014 visit from the flamingos, saying that five flamingoes collided with powerlines and passed away.
Twelve of the birds remained in Malportas Pond for a while, she said.
“In an effort to reduce mortality events, DoE later partnered with CUC to install 14 markers on the powerlines along the pond’s northern boundary,” she added.
Haakonsson said the DoE has checked out Cayman’s more recent visitor, which appears to be in good health.
“It is still bright pink with hues of orange, which means that the carotenoids – likely obtained at a previous feeding location – are still in its system. While it can survive here for some time, it will likely take off once rested to resume its journey and find its flock,” she said
“Once flamingoes have stayed in Malportas Pond for some time, they usually grow markedly paler in colour, indicating that they feed on algae instead of tiny crustaceans containing carotenoids, such as brine shrimp.
‘Dream come true’
Nehme said he and his family headed to North Side on Sunday to see the bird and at first they could not find it because they tried the National Trust Bird Sanctuary.
However, he said, they did not give up and tried the entrance to the pond and they spotted a pink dot as they drove in.
“It was the first entrance of the Malportas Pond where there are land lots for sale and, as soon as you entered the lot, it was right there in the water feeding. It was not very difficult to miss because it was just this pink little bird on the horizon as soon as you entered the pond,” he said.
Nehme said when his 2-and half-year-old daughter saw the bird, she started excitedly saying, “‘Oh, flamingo, flamingo.’ I said ‘yeah, that’s a flamingo.’ She was pretty excited about seeing a pink flamingo in front of her.”
He said it was a “dream come true” for him to see the bird in the wild here in Cayman.
“We don’t have flamingos ever here and it’s very rare. I mean, if they do come, they might flock here for a couple of days or whatever because of the weather, but then they just travel again because those are migratory birds. But to see one just hanging out in Cayman, that’s awesome,” he said.
He said when he and his family arrived at the site, there was only one other car there, though within half an hour, “a flock of people just came in to check the bird out”.
“We had about 10 to 12 cars just starting to come to the pond while I was finishing up taking photos,” he said.
The National Trust had initially shared a photo taken by Peter Davey of the flamingo.
The Trust said that this summer Hurricane Idalia carried large numbers of flamingos across the eastern United States, with some being spotted as far north as Ohio and Pennsylvania, and as far northwest as Wisconsin.
Plans for development
Childs said those who visited the pond say they have seen a variety of birds, from ospreys, to lesser scaup, snowy egrets, frigatebirds, brown pelicans, blue-winged teal and others.
“The pond’s shore is also known to be visited every year by some 500 white-rumped sandpipers who stop here on their 9,000-mile migration journey between southern South America to northern Canada. We’re grateful that the flamingo is drawing attention to the rich diversity of life that relies upon Malportas Pond,” she said.
This wetland, Childs explained, has been classified as an International Bird Area (IBA), a location that is identified as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations.
“Migratory birds rely upon wetlands such as this to rest and recuperate on their long and perilous journeys while our resident bird populations depend upon them every day,” she said.
“With this in mind, the National Trust recently acquired 5.17 acres of shoreland bordering the pond to create a bird sanctuary. We have big plans for the site, including viewing towers and interpretive signage so that everyone will have the opportunity to enjoy the flora and fauna of this beautiful natural area.
“The district of North Side is blessed with an abundance of pristine natural areas and we hope to highlight this biodiversity for the enjoyment of visitors and locals alike.”
Childs urged everyone heading to the area to be mindful that it is a wilderness area and to give the wildlife plenty of space.
“We don’t encourage the use of drones as they often disturb birds and can cause them undue stress,” she said. “Please leave your pets at home. Although it’s very exciting to spot unusual birds such as this, try to keep your voices down to avoid disturbing the wildlife (and other birders).
“But most importantly, take the time to really stop for a minute and appreciate this beautiful natural area and the flora and fauna that call it home. It will remind you how lucky we are to be sharing paradise with so many amazing creatures.”
Haakonsson agreed.
She added, “Grab your binoculars and spread the word! Our natural resources should be protected to be enjoyed by all – take pictures for the ones unable to make it in person. Please do not disturb the pond by leaving garbage or bringing dogs to the site”.
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