Flamingos find habitat in salt lake in N China

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Eight flamingos wading in a salt lake in the city of Yuncheng in northern China’s Shanxi Province have recently attracted tourists and photographers.

The salt lake, also called Yanhu Lake, first saw flamingos in December 2014. Days ago, more flamingos have found their home at the wetland in the salt lake.

Flamingos stand on one leg with the other tucked beneath their bodies. /CGTN Photo

Flamingos, a rare species in China, are a type of wading bird with pink feathers in the family of Phoenicopteridae. They prefer to live near water in warm areas. But as the wetland around the globe has been reducing, flamingos have become one of the world’s endangered species.

Scientists say the pink color of their feathers is caused by astaxanthin contained in their food, including plankton, shrimps, fish and crabs. Flamingos mainly inhabit around the Mediterranean coast, northwest India, Africa and the West Indies.

The ecological conditions in the Yanhu Lake has been improving. /CGTN Photo‍

Local officials in the city of Yuncheng has been making efforts to protect the environment of the salt lake. The improved ecological conditions have brought in over 1,000 species of birds in recent years. Besides the flamingos, some bustards and golden pheasants have also inhabited in the lake.