The European flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) is the only flamingo species in Europe in the wild which occurs and is a regular visitor to the Algarve. From November to March they you can spot them in the lagoons of Quinta do Lago (west of Faro) and Salgados, including the saltwater marsh of Tavira, the inlet of the Rio Arade in Portimão and the river of Alvor.They do not breed in the Algarve, but migrated from France to Spain and stop in the wet areas of Portugal. The animals searching for food by filtering the water upside down with their heads with their beaks. 

You see they usually fly in groups or standing in a lake or salt pan. The locals leave the animals alone and are very proud of their "neighbors". Flamingos naturally occur in Africa and Asia, but their range in Europe is limited to a few areas, the Camargue in southern France is the most famous. We also see them in Portugal, Spain, Italy, the Balkans and Greece. A few years ago for the first time seen a nest in the lagoon of Salgados, between Albufeira and Armação de Pera. Using a telescope it was very clear to see that in the nest there was one egg in it, where flamingos are known for. The nest is in the form of a heap of mud with a flat top. The parents are not set territorial, but they defend the nest is. All chicks who can walk, join large nurseries, which are led by a pair of adult birds.

It was special to see a nest so close to a golf course, as flamingos several years ago came here very little. But the number increased fortunately through various studies and help from environmental organizations. Every spring and autumn the Algarve is again a stopover for thousands of flamingos. The existing ecosystem of the protected areas is in fact their rich foods such as small animals, crustaceans, worms, microscopic algae, insects and plants. The bird is a partially migratory, often wintering in warmer regions.The plumage of the flamingo is predominantly white with some pink, he has an extremely long neck, a blunt, hooked beak with a black tip, very long legs and short toes webbed. The color obtain them by bacteria and beta carotene that they get from their food. They are 150 cm long and can be up to 4 kg. Young flamingos contrast, salt and get later in life, the color pink.The flamingo is monogamous and breeds in colonies of up to 200,000 pairs.

The sound they make resembles a goose, and they often perform complex, synchronized dance to. Flamingo's often stand on one leg, and preferably in the water. One reason could be thermoregulation. With one foot in the water, they cool their body, but they would lose too much body heat with two legs in the water. The other reason could be that the two-legged flamingo in the mud sinks. By going on one leg stand, the flamingo, which is too far sunk in the mud itself, as it were lifting with his other leg. It's every time a beautiful sight to admire this particular bird in the natural beauty of the Algarve! Do you want this beautiful flamingos also admire myself?  Then soon a villa through http://www.amarantevillas.com