Following the presence of several flamingos in the Janubio salt mines last July, La Voz has interviewed the ornithologist Gustavo Tejera to talk about this phenomenon that is not so strange on our coasts. Tejera is passionate about birds and the biodiversity of Lanzarote and the Archipelago in general. Graduated with a higher degree in Environmental Education and Control, his job consists of carrying out information campaigns and projects and dissemination of environmental education. In addition, he also has studies as a field technician and in work related to ornithology.
This job sometimes means seeing birds that are not usually common in the Islands. This is the case of the flamingos that were seen in Janubio, an area where Artemia salina abounds, a type of crustacean that provides that characteristic reddish tone to these birds. "They feed on this crustacean to have that red color and thus show off," explains Tejera.
And the fact is that flamingos make a long journey from lagoons in the Mediterranean in France or Italy, and head to Mauritania or even Senegal. "In Spain, the main breeding centers are Doñana, Fuente de Piedra and the salt mines of Santa Pola and in some lagoons of Albacete," he explains. One of the main problems that flamingos face is desertification.
Also, being so close to the African continent, the Canary Islands are one of the routes used by migratory birds to move from one area of the world to another. This is the reason why so many species choose Lanzarote to rest and feed before continuing their journey. "Birds use several routes depending on the location of their building quarters, so some go closer to the African coast and others go further inland, depending on the winds," explains the ornithologist.
Even, not only do African and European species arrive, "but also American ones, since sometimes when they move and it coincides with a hurricane, they skirt it, and in the end they end up in the Canary Islands," he comments.
Our coast, a perfect refuge
The 191 kilometers of coastline that Lanzarote has make it the ideal refuge for migratory birds and also for those that live here permanently. Many of the species that come from the European continent, such as birds of prey or ducks, "give us a greater potential for observation in Lanzarote or Fuerteventura than other islands such as El Hierro or Tenerife," says Tejera.
The Janubio Salt Mines, the Arrecife Marina, El Bosquecillo, the Risco de Famara, the Chinijo Archipelago and the entire north coast are the areas that concentrate the majority of migratory birds. Depending on the place, you can see some species or others. "If you go to the Arrecife Theme Park you can find a lot of little birds on migratory passage that go unnoticed by most people, but you can find 20 or 30 different species on a good day of observation," he says.
The migratory birds that take advantage of their passage through Lanzarote to rest, feed or nest reach 300 species. They correspond mainly to North American birds, but also European, African and, although it seems impossible, Asian. "This key geographical point where different migratory routes of different species converge makes the Canary Islands a very exclusive point when it comes to observing birds," says the expert.
If the flamingos move a lot from their route, they may not reach their destination and die
However, although migratory birds are abundant and interesting to see, in general we tend to forget about the richness of species that we have in Lanzarote that always live here and that are in danger. "We have to give more value to what we have in our islands that are disappearing, rather than focusing on specific events such as the appearance of flamingos that in many cases, if they move a lot from their route, they may not reach their destination and die," he reflects.
This is something that happens with all species, whether with flamingos or with the two-barred warbler. In fact, the latter weighs approximately 10 grams and comes from Siberia flying more than 10,000 kilometers one way and then the same distance back. "The presence of the Pallas's warbler is starting to be seen in Lanzarote for about 10 or 15 years now on a regular basis, when before there was no record of this species," declares Tejera.
The ornithologist states that "this type of event goes unnoticed because we see, for example, the flamingos that are pink and majestic, but migratory species constantly visit us and we focus on anecdotes like this that are very good but we forget about the stone curlew, the Egyptian vulture, the raven or the osprey." And the latter is so important that it appears on the Arrecife shield and, unfortunately, "the species is about to disappear from the Canary Islands," laments the expert.
