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97-667: Lake Enriquillo covers an area of 380 km (150 sq mi), and is the lowest point for an island country , falling 46 m (151 ft) below sea level. Its drainage basin includes ten minor river systems. The rivers that rise in the Neiba Mountains to the north (lower center and lower right of the image) are perennial. Those rivers that rise in the Baoruco Mountains to the south are intermittent. Lake Enriquillo has no outlet, making it an example of an endorheic lake . The lake's water level varies because of

194-593: A 1901 report from a Keys resident mentions a flock of 40-50 flamingos on Sugarloaf Key standing by "whitish stumps", which may potentially refer to the flamingos' mud nests. Despite the ambiguity of these reports, the geomorphology of these sites closely resembles that of flamingo nesting sites elsewhere in the Caribbean, supporting their accuracy. It is thus largely agreed that flamingos were likely former nesters in Florida. Sightings of flamingos in Florida had reached

291-524: A combination of storm-driven precipitation events and the region's high evaporation rate. Salinity in the lake can vary between 33 parts per thousand (comparable to seawater ) and over 100 parts per thousand ( hypersaline ). The region has a hot, semiarid climate. Annual rainfall is not evenly distributed, with peak precipitation occurring in May and October. The dry season is December through April when rainfall may be less than 20 mm (0.79 in). Due to

388-562: A difficult target. Many developing small island countries rely heavily on fish for their main supply of food. Some are turning to renewable energy —such as wind power , hydropower , geothermal power and biodiesel from copra oil —to defend against potential rises in oil prices . Some island countries are more affected than other countries by climate change , which produces problems such as reduced land use , water scarcity , and sometimes even resettlement issues. Some low-lying island countries are slowly being submerged by

485-557: A distance, untrained eyes can also confuse it with the roseate spoonbill , leading to further confusion. This belief persisted into the 21st century even as flamingo sightings started to become more and more frequent, although at least one bird banded as a chick in the Yucatán Peninsula was recorded in 2012 in Everglades National Park . The maximum sizes of observed flocks also increased over time, with

582-442: A flamingo, having such a long neck means adapting to an unusually long trachea . Tracheas are an important area of the respiratory tract; aside from directing air in and out of the lungs, it has the largest volume of dead space in the tract. Dead space in avians is around 4.5 times higher in mammals of roughly the same size. In particular, flamingos have a trachea that is longer than its body length with 330 cartilaginous rings. As

679-459: A high salt content and mostly drink salt water (with an osmolarity of usually 1000), hyperosmotic to the bodies cells . Also, though not commonly, they can drink fresh water at near-boiling temperatures from geysers. From their high-salt diet, they would lose more water and have a greater salt uptake. One way in which they osmoregulate is through the use of a salt gland , which is found in their beaks. This salt gland helps excrete excess salt from

776-408: A higher white blood cell count than free living flamingos. One exception occurs in free living flamingos with regards to white blood cell count. The number of eosinophils in free living birds are higher because these cells are the ones that fight off parasites with which a free living bird may have more contact than a captive one. Captive birds showed higher hematocrit and red blood cell numbers than

873-472: A low by the 1940s, with no registered records for the entire decade. During the 1950s, wild flamingo sightings started to tick up again, but birds from the captive population at Hialeah Park frequently escaped, leading to the conclusion that the majority of flamingo sightings in Florida were of escapees; until 2018, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission listed it as a nonnative species. From

970-439: A mammalian heart, the avian heart is composed of endocardial , myocardial and epicardial layers. The atrium walls tend to be thinner than the ventricle walls, due to the intense ventricular contraction used to pump oxygenated blood throughout the body. Similar to the atrium, the arteries are composed of thick elastic muscles to withstand the pressure of the ventricular constriction, and become more rigid as they move away from

1067-517: A number of thermoregulatory mechanisms to keep itself cool during the light period and warm during the dark period without expending too much energy. The American flamingo has been observed in a temperature niche between 17.8–35.2 °C (64.0–95.4 °F). In order to prevent water loss through evaporation when temperatures are elevated the flamingo will employ hyperthermia as a nonevaporative heat loss method keeping its body temperature between 40–42 °C (104–108 °F). This allows heat to leave

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1164-523: A precise balance of solute and water concentrations within the body—is performed by a number of bodily functions working together. In P. ruber , the kidney , the lower gastrointestinal tract, and the salt glands work together to maintain the homeostasis between ions and fluids. In mammals, the kidneys and urinary bladder are the primary organs used in osmoregulation. Birds, however, lack a urinary bladder and must compensate using these three organs. American flamingos are saltwater birds that ingest food with

1261-503: A quick pace with their heads dropped in a false feeding posture. This high-intensity courtship stops at any point if either bird turns and the other does not follow, the heads are raised, unison movements are stopped, or the pace of movement is slowed. If the female is ultimately receptive to copulation, she stops walking and presents for the male. Long-term pairs do not frequently engage in courtship behaviors or in-group display. Pairs often stand, sleep, and eat in close proximity. Courtship

1358-408: A result, birds have more blood in their capillaries per unit of volume of lung than a mammal. The American flamingo's four-chambered heart is myogenic, meaning that all the muscle cells and fibers have the ability to contract rhythmically. The rhythm of contraction is controlled by the pace maker cells which have a lower threshold for depolarization. The wave of electrical depolarization initiated here

1455-530: A result, they have a calculated dead space twice as high as another bird of the same size. To compensate for the elongation, they usually breathe in deep, slow patterns. One hypothesis for the bird's adaptation to respiratory alkalosis is tracheal coiling. Tracheal coiling is an overly long extension of the trachea and can often wrap around the bird's body. When faced with a heat load, birds often use thermal panting and this adaptation of tracheal coiling allows ventilation of non-exchange surfaces which can enable

1552-401: A threatened species, which had been debated by agencies during the prior decades. The study found that the growing flamingo sightings likely represent wild individuals and not escapes, and that at least some of these individuals are year-round residents in Florida. The status of flamingos as a former resident species was proven with the observations and breeding records by early naturalists, while

1649-546: Is a cultural icon for the U.S. state of Florida , where it was formerly abundant in the southernmost regions, although it was largely extirpated by 1900 and is now only an uncommon visitor with a few small, potential resident populations. The American flamingo was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the current binomial name Phoenicopterus ruber . Linnaeus cited earlier authors including

1746-401: Is a large wading bird with reddish-pink plumage. Like all flamingos, it lays a single chalky-white egg on a mud mound, between May and August; incubation until hatching takes from 28 to 32 days; both parents brood their young. They may reach sexual maturity between 3 and 6 years of age, though usually they do not reproduce until they are 6 years old. Their life expectancy of 40 years is one of

1843-697: Is a view of the lake. There are several small hotels in the nearby towns, usually used by travelers linked to commerce, and which are also used by tourists to see the attractions of the area. A transportation system with buses also links this community with Santo Domingo and other communities between them. Island country An island country , island state , or island nation is a country whose primary territory consists of one or more islands or parts of islands. Approximately 25% of all independent countries are island countries. Island countries are historically more stable than many continental states but are vulnerable to conquest by naval superpowers . Indonesia

1940-576: Is attended constantly and equally by alternating parents. Chicks at the nest are attended constantly by alternating parents, up to 7–11 days of age. Most attentive periods during incubation and brooding last 21–60 hours, both in the case where the ‘off-duty’ parents remain in the same lagoon to feed, or (when breeding occurs in lagoons deficient in food), they fly to other lagoons to feed. Nest reliefs during incubation take place predominantly in late afternoon, or early morning. The time for receiving food from parents decreases from hatching to about 105 days, and

2037-677: Is considered an iconic symbol of the state of Florida in the United States , and is widely featured on merchandise from the state. Although the species was a former resident and a possible breeder in Florida until the early 20th century, the strong association of flamingos with Florida likely originates from the Flamingo Hotel , a popular 1920s hotel in Miami Beach , which was named after an exotic bird for marketing purposes. The hotel's strong association with South Florida led to

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2134-474: Is important for flamingos as they generally live in warm habitats and their plush plumage increases body temperature. Heat loss is accomplished through thermal polypnea (panting), that is an increase in respiratory rate. It has been seen that the medulla, hypothalamus and mid-brain are involved in the control of panting, as well through the Hering-Breuer reflex that uses stretch receptors in the lungs, and

2231-419: Is its unipedal stance, or the tendency to stand on one leg. While the purpose of this iconic posture remains ultimately unanswered, strong evidence supports its function in regulating body temperature. Like most birds, the largest amount of heat is lost through the legs and feet; having long legs can be a major disadvantage when temperatures fall and heat retention is most important. By holding one leg up against

2328-729: Is linked to Saudi Arabia by the King Fahd Causeway , Singapore to Malaysia by the Johor–Singapore Causeway and Second Link , and the United Kingdom has a railway connection to France through the Channel Tunnel . Geographically, the country of Australia is considered a continental landmass rather than an island, covering the largest landmass of the Australian continent . In the past, however, it

2425-426: Is minimized in the hot temperatures during rest and flight. Avian hearts are generally larger than mammalian hearts when compared to body mass. This adaptation allows more blood to be pumped to meet the high metabolic need associated with flight. Birds, like the flamingo, have a very efficient system for diffusing oxygen into the blood; birds have a ten times greater surface area to gas exchange volume than mammals. As

2522-477: Is most often seen among individuals that change partners often or are promiscuous. A spectrum of pairing relationships is seen. Some birds have a long-term partner throughout the year; others form pairs during periods of courtship and nest attendance. How long a relationship lasts is affected by many factors, including addition and removal of adults, maturation of juveniles, and occurrence of trios and quartets. In most pairs, both individuals usually construct and defend

2619-512: Is not true; there is no real difference in the efficiency of the blood, and both mammals and birds use a hemoglobin molecule as the primary oxygen carrier with little to no difference in oxygen carrying capacity. Captivity and age have been seen to have an effect on the blood composition of the American flamingo. A decrease in white blood cell numbers was predominate with age in both captive and free living flamingos, but captive flamingos showed

2716-731: Is the Latin word for a flamingo. The specific epithet ruber is Latin meaning "red". The greater flamingo ( Phoenicopterus roseus ), that is widespread in the Old World, was formerly treated as a subspecies of the American flamingo. Molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that the two taxa are each other's closest relatives. The American flamingo breeds in South America (in the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador , coastal Colombia and Venezuela , and northern Brazil ), in

2813-448: Is the largest and most populated island country in the world. There are great variations between island country economies: they may rely mainly on extractive industries, such as mining, fishing and agriculture, and/or on services such as transit hubs, tourism , and financial services. Many islands have low-lying geographies and their economies and population centers develop along coast plains and ports ; such states may be vulnerable to

2910-526: Is usually monogamous when selecting a nest site, and incubating and raising young; however, extra-pair copulations are frequent. While males usually initiate courtship, females control the process. If interest is mutual, a female walks by the male, and if the male is receptive, he walks with her. Both parties make synchronized movements until one member aborts this process. For low-intensity courtships, males and females walk in unison with their heads raised. In high-intensity courtships, males and females walk at

3007-470: Is what physically starts the heart's contractions and begins pumping blood. Pumping blood creates variations in blood pressure and as a result, creates different thicknesses of blood vessels. The Law of LaPlace can be used to explain why arteries are relatively thick and veins are thin. It was widely thought that avian blood had special properties which attributed to a very efficient extraction and transportation of oxygen in comparison to mammalian blood. This

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3104-525: The Maldives . Some island countries share one or more of their islands with other countries, such as the United Kingdom and Ireland ; Haiti and the Dominican Republic ; and Indonesia, which shares islands with Papua New Guinea , Brunei , East Timor , and Malaysia . Bahrain, Singapore, and the United Kingdom have fixed links such as bridges and tunnels to the continental landmass: Bahrain

3201-525: The Philippines are notable exceptions. Some island countries are centred on one or two major islands, such as the United Kingdom , Trinidad and Tobago , New Zealand , Cuba , Bahrain , Singapore , Sri Lanka , Iceland , Malta , and Taiwan . Others are spread out over hundreds or thousands of smaller islands, such as Japan , Indonesia, the Philippines , The Bahamas , Seychelles , and

3298-809: The West Indies ( Trinidad and Tobago , Cuba , Jamaica , Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic and Haiti ), The Bahamas , the Virgin Islands , and the Turks and Caicos Islands ), and tropical and subtropical areas of continental North America (along the northern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico , and formerly southern Florida in the United States ). It is a vagrant to Puerto Rico , Anguilla , Barbados , Honduras , and (following its extirpation) Florida, although some Florida populations are now thought to be year-round residents. The population in

3395-500: The global economy . Due to the nature of island countries their economies are often characterised by being smaller, relatively isolated from world trade and economy, more vulnerable to shipping costs, and more likely to suffer environmental damage to infrastructure; exceptions include Japan, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. The dominant industry for many island countries is tourism . Island countries are typically small with low populations, although some, like Indonesia , Japan , and

3492-428: The renal filtrate , but can be reabsorbed almost completely where it is excreted in high concentrations in the salt glands. Renal reabsorption can be increased through the output of the antidiuretic hormone called arginine vasotocin (AVT). AVT opens protein channels in the collection ducts of the kidney called aquaporins. Aquaporins increase the membrane permeability to water, as well as causes less water to move from

3589-447: The renal glomerulus . Although birds' kidneys tend to be larger in size, they are inefficient in producing concentrated urine that is significantly hyperosmotic to their blood plasma. This form of secretion would cause dehydration from water loss. Therefore, sodium and water are reabsorbed into the plasma by renal tubules . This increase in osmotic plasma levels causes extracellular fluid volume to increase, which triggers receptors in both

3686-457: The vagus nerve . This effect of the panting is accelerated by a process called gular fluttering; rapid flapping of membranes in the throat which is synchronized with the movements of the thorax. Both of these mechanisms promote evaporative heat loss, which allows for the bird to push out warm air and water from the body. Increases in respiratory rate would normally cause respiratory alkalosis because carbon dioxide levels are rapidly dropping in

3783-623: The ventral surface of the body, the flamingo lowers the surface area by which heat exits the body. Moreover, it has been observed that during periods of increased temperatures such as mid-day, flamingos will stand on both legs. Holding a bipedal stance multiplies the amount of heat lost from the legs and further regulates body temperature. Like other flamingo species, American flamingos will migrate short distances to ensure that they get enough food or because their current habitat has been disturbed in some way. One habitat disturbance that has been observed to cause flamingos to leave their feeding grounds

3880-485: The 19th century by naturalists such as Audubon and Wurdemann , although such spectacles were restricted to a small portion of southern and western Florida, at sites including Marco Island , Cape Sable and the Florida Keys . Many of these early reports note that Florida's flamingos suffered from heavy hunting, first by Native Americans and later early settlers; this hunting may have already affected numbers prior

3977-698: The Dominican Republic. The valley is known as the Hoya de Enriquillo in the Dominican Republic and as the Plain du Cul-de-Sac in Haiti. Parts of the depression are below sea level and are covered by large salt lakes, including Lake Enriquillo and Etang Saumâtre , Hispaniola's second largest lake (as well as Haiti's largest). There historically were three islands in the lake: Barbarita, Islita, and Isla Cabritos. Once, when water levels dropped during dry spells,

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4074-688: The English naturalist Mark Catesby who in 1729–1731 had described and illustrated the flamingo found on the Bahamas islands . Linnaeus specified the type locality as "Africa, America, rarius in Europe" but the locality was restricted to the Bahamas by the German ornithologist Hans von Berlepsch in 1908. The species is treated as monotypic : no subspecies are recognised. The genus name Phoenicopterus

4171-593: The Florida Keys, while one is labeled as having been collected around Tampa . However, none of these specimens have specific collection notes, and the provenance of the Tampa specimen is considered highly erroneous. However, the collection dates are consistent with nesting seasons for other American flamingo populations, bolstering their accuracy. There is a single potential sight record of nesting flamingos in Florida:

4268-630: The Galápagos Islands differs genetically from that in the Caribbean; the Galápagos flamingos are significantly smaller, exhibit sexual dimorphism in body shape, and lay smaller eggs. They are sometimes separated as Phoenicopterus ruber glyphorhynchus . Marine biologists say that, although flamingos are native to the tropical south of the U.S., hurricanes have been known to drive flocks of flamingos north, leading to rare sightings in Kentucky , New York , Ohio , Pennsylvania and Virginia . Most of

4365-544: The Spaniards in the early 16th century, and hid in the mountains south of the lake. It was previously called Lake Xaragua , after the Taino chiefdom in which it was located. Land near Lake Enriquillo has long been used for agriculture, with crops such as bananas, sweet potatoes, and yuca being grown there, as well as pasture for cattle. The rising water levels have affected hundreds of nearby residents in townships bordering

4462-438: The amount of taurine (an amino acid ) as mammal erythrocytes. Taurine has a fairly large list of physiological functions; but in birds, it can have an important influence on osmoregulation. It helps the movement of ions in erythrocytes by altering the permeability of the membrane and regulating osmotic pressure within the cell. The regulation of osmotic pressure is achieved by the influx or efflux of taurine relative to changes in

4559-503: The avian heart tends to be larger in relation to body mass than what is seen in most mammals. The avian circulatory system is driven by a four-chambered, myogenic heart contained in a fibrous pericardial sac. This pericardial sac is filled with a serous fluid for lubrication. The heart itself is divided into a right and left half, each with an atrium and ventricle . The atrium and ventricles of each side are separated by atrioventricular valves which prevent back flow from one chamber to

4656-432: The bird to avoid respiratory alkalosis. The flamingo uses a "flushout" pattern of ventilation where deeper breaths are essentially mixed in with shallow panting to flush out carbon dioxide and avoid alkalosis. The increased length of the trachea provides a greater ability for respiratory evaporation and cooling off without hyperventilation. Thermoregulation is a matter of keeping a consistent body temperature regardless of

4753-510: The birds return to where they came from, but occasionally, one breaks off from a flock so that there are examples of a flamingo hanging out by itself for years. Its preferred habitats are similar to those of its relatives: saline lagoons , mudflats , and shallow, brackish coastal or inland lakes. An example habitat is the Petenes mangroves ecoregion of the Yucatán. The American flamingo

4850-403: The blood and into the kidney tubules. The salt gland used by the American flamingo has two segments, a medial and lateral segment. These segments are tube shaped glands that consist of two cell types. The first is the cuboidal – peripheral cells which are small, triangular shaped cells which have only a few mitochondria . The second specialized cells are the principal cells which are found down

4947-438: The body by moving from an area of high body temperature to an area of a lower ambient temperature. Flamingos are also able to use evaporative heat loss methods such as, cutaneous evaporative heat loss and respiratory evaporative heat loss. During cutaneous heat loss, Phoenicopterus ruber relies on evaporation off of the skin to reduce its body temperature. This method is not very efficient as it requires evaporation to pass through

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5044-467: The body rather than being lost through extremities such as the legs and feet. Living in the equatorial region of the world, the American flamingo has little variation in seasonal temperature changes. However, as a homeothermic endotherm it is still faced with the challenge of maintaining a constant body temperature while being exposed to both the day (light period) and night (dark period) temperatures of its environments. Phoenicopterus ruber have evolved

5141-401: The body through the nasal openings in the flamingo's beaks. When these birds consume salt, the osmolarity increases in the blood plasma through the gut. This causes water to move out of the cells, increasing extracellular fluids. Both these changes, in turn, activate the salt glands of the bird, but before any activity occurs in the salt glands, the kidney has to reabsorb the ingested sodium from

5238-412: The body, but the flamingo is able to bypass this, most likely through a shunt mechanism, which allow it to still maintain a sustainable partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the blood. Since the avian integument is not equipped with sweat glands, cutaneous cooling is minimal. Because the flamingo's respiratory system is shared with multiple functions, panting must be controlled to prevent hypoxia . For

5335-443: The body. With respect to thermoregulation, the American flamingo has highly vascularized feet that use a countercurrent exchange system in their legs and feet. This method of thermoregulation keeps a constant gradient between the veins and arteries that are in close proximity in order to maintain heat within the core and minimize heat loss or gain in the extremities. Heat loss is minimized while wading in cold water, while heat gain

5432-403: The bottom of the water bed to bring up their food source to then be retrieved. To feed, it has evolved a specialized beak which is hooked downward and features marginal lamellae on the upper mandible, and inner and outer lamellae on both the upper and lower mandibles. These are adapted for filtering out differently sized food from water. Depending on the food source in their area, diets depend on

5529-399: The brain and heart. These receptors then stimulate salt gland secretion and sodium is able to efficiently leave the body through the nares while maintaining a high body water level. Flamingos, like many other marine birds, have a high saline intake, yet even the glomular filtration rate (GFR) remains unchanged. This is because of the salt glands; high concentrations of sodium are present in

5626-485: The capillaries where gas exchange can occur. Capillaries are organized into capillary beds in tissues, it is here that blood exchanges oxygen for carbon dioxide waste. In the capillary beds blood flow is slowed to allow maximum diffusion of oxygen into the tissues. Once the blood has become deoxygenated it travels through venules then veins and back to the heart. Veins, unlike arteries, are thin and rigid as they do not need to withstand extreme pressure. As blood travels through

5723-454: The cell and two potassium ions into the cell. The potassium channel allows potassium ions to diffuse out of the cell. The cotransporter pumps one sodium, potassium and two chloride ions into the cell. The chloride ion diffuses through the apical membrane into the secretory tube and the sodium follows via a paracellular route. This is what forms the hyperosmotic solution within the salt glands. Although there has been little investigation on

5820-414: The decrease is greatest after the chicks have left the nest at 7–11 days to band into crèches. The frequency and the duration of feeds by male and female partners do not differ significantly. After chicks have left the nest, feeds are predominantly nocturnal. The American flamingo has adapted to its shallow-water environment in several ways. It has evolved long legs and large webbed feet to wade and stir up

5917-489: The earliest population estimates. The last report of a large flock was by Howe (1902), who reported a flock of over 500 to 1,000 flamingos east of Cape Sable . Following this report, flamingo observations in Florida only ranged in the single digits at a time for many decades. A small number of museum specimens exist of flamingo eggs allegedly collected in Florida, all from the 1880s. Three of these (including one collected by Edward Wilkinson ) are labeled as originating from

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6014-520: The eastern United States, with records from Florida, Georgia , North Carolina , South Carolina , Virginia , Kentucky , Tennessee , as far north as Ohio and Pennsylvania , and as far northwest as Wisconsin . These vagrant populations likely originated from the Yucatán Peninsula , were caught in the storm while en route to Cuba , and carried until the storm's landfall in the United States, after which they dispersed. The American flamingo

6111-523: The eastern end of the lake. Plants that thrive in arid places, such as cacti (especially the endemic Melocactus lemairei ), can be found here. A national park was established in 1974 to preserve the area; in 2002 it was combined with two other parks to form the Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo Biosphere Reserve. The lake is named after Enriquillo , a cacique of the indigenous Taíno , who rebelled against

6208-556: The effects of the climate , especially sea level changes . Remote or significant islands and archipelagos that are not themselves sovereign are often known as dependencies or overseas territories . Historically, island countries have tended to be less prone to political instability than their continental counterparts. The percentage of island countries that are democratic is higher than that of continental countries. While island countries by definition are sovereign states , there are also several islands and archipelagos around

6305-925: The exact morphology of their beaks on what can and cannot be strained out of them. The American flamingo's diet consists of small crustaceans ( Artemia , Gammarus , Dotilla , and copepods ), molluscs ( Cerithidea , Cerithium , Paludestrina , Neritina , Gemma , and Macoma ), some worms ( Nereis ), nematodes , insects ( water beetles or ants ) and their larvae ( Ephydra , Chironomus , Thinophilus , Sigaria , and Micronecta ), small fish ( Cyprinodon ), widgeon grass , seeds ( Ruppia , Scirpus , Juncus , and Cyperus ), algae , diatoms , and decaying leaves . They are also known to consume mud from which they are able to get microorganisms and bacteria and obtain nutrients. It submerges its head under water to retrieve its food, and may have its head under water for long times, which requires it to hold its breath. Factors which affect

6402-598: The existence of modern resident populations was based on an abandoned young flamingo named Conchy found in Key West, who was radio-tagged and found to stay in Florida Bay year-round with other flamingos. The study also indicated that as flamingo populations around the Caribbean recover, more flamingos may join the resident populations and recolonize Florida, as has happened elsewhere in the Caribbean. In 2023, Hurricane Idalia blew in large numbers of flamingos across

6499-402: The flamingo respiratory system , however little to no divergences from the standard avian anatomical design have occurred in their evolutionary history. Nevertheless, some physiological differences do occur in the flamingo and structurally similar species. The respiratory system is not only important for efficient gas exchange , but for thermoregulation and vocalization . Thermoregulation

6596-427: The flooding are being debated, but may be a combination of several, including increases in rainfall in the region in recent years, increase of sediments going into the lake from run-off due to deforestation that are contributing to raising the lakebed, and milder temperatures, which are reducing the surface evaporation rate. The lake lies in a valley that stretches from near Port-au-Prince in Haiti to Bahia de Neiba in

6693-768: The free living flamingos, and a blood hemoglobin increase was seen with age. An increase in hemoglobin would correspond with an adults increase in metabolic needs. A smaller mean cellular volume recorded in free living flamingos coupled with similar mean hemoglobin content between captive and free living flamingos could show different oxygen diffusion characteristics between these two groups. Plasma chemistry remains relatively stable with age but lower values of protein content, uric acid, cholesterol, triglycerides, and phospholipids were seen in free living flamingos. This trend can be attributed to shortages and variances in food intake in free living flamingos. Avian erythrocytes (red blood cells) have been shown to contain approximately ten times

6790-407: The habitat choice of American flamingos are environmental temperatures, water depth, food source, accessibility of an area, and the presence of vegetation beds in feeding areas. If available food items do not meet the needs of the flamingos or the temperature is not appropriate to their requirements, they move to a better feeding or more temperate area. The role of osmoregulation —the maintenance of

6887-420: The heart. Blood moves through the arteries, which undergo vasoconstriction , and into arterioles which act as a transportation system to distribute primarily oxygen as well as nutrients to all tissues of the body. As the arterioles move away from the heart and into individual organs and tissues they are further divided to increase surface area and slow blood flow. Travelling through the arterioles blood moves into

6984-468: The islands were linked to one another by sandbars. As of December 2011, only Isla Cabritos remains; the other two islands were submerged by the rising levels of the lake. Lake Enriquillo is located within a linear depression that formed as a ramp basin between the Haiti fold and thrust belt to the north and the uplifted oceanic crust of the Massif de la Selle and Sierra de Bahoruco mountain ranges to

7081-416: The lake and severely affected by the rising waters, has been the subject of government relocation efforts, including the construction of a new town further from the shores of Enriquillo. Lake Enriquillo has become an important tourist destination, both for national and foreign tourism. There is a group of possibly pre-Taino indigenous petroglyphs (locally named " las caritas ", "the faces"), from where there

7178-462: The lake, as well as on Isla Cabritos: the Ricord's iguana ( Cyclura ricordii ), and the rhinoceros iguana ( Cyclura cornuta ). The endemic Hispaniola racer ( Haitiophis anomalus ), a snake, is also native to the area. Among the numerous bird species found at the lake, American flamingos ( Phoenicopterus ruber ) are prominent; flocks of flamingos are especially concentrated on Isla Cabritos and near

7275-428: The lake, with abundant loss of agricultural land. Important towns near the shores of Enriquillo include Neiba , the capital of Baoruco Province , on the northeast, and Jimaní , the capital of Independencia Province , at the western end of the lake near the border with Haiti . La Descubierta is the town nearest to the entrance of Lago Enriquillo and Isla Cabritos National Park. The community of Boca de Cachon, near

7372-402: The largest increase between 1990 and 2015. The largest flock of Florida flamingos since the early 20th century was spotted in 2014, when a very large flock of over 147 flamingos temporarily stayed at Stormwater Treatment Area 2 on Lake Okeechobee , with a few returning the following year. A 2018 study confirmed the native status of flamingos in Florida and called for their federal protection as

7469-410: The length of the lake, annual rainfall averages also vary at the eastern and western ends: 729 mm (28.7 in) on the northwest shore, and 508 mm (20.0 in) in the southeast. Between 2004 and 2009, the lake doubled its surface area. Records for 2004 show the lake to be 164 km (63 sq mi); measurements from 2011 put the area at 350 km (140 sq mi). Reasons for

7566-559: The length of the secretory tubules, and are rich in mitochondria. These cells are similar to the mitochondria rich cells found in teleost fish . These cells within the salt gland employ several types of transport mechanisms that respond to osmoregulatory loads. Sodium-Potassium ATPase works with a Sodium-Chloride cotransporter (also known as the NKCC ), and a basal potassium channel to secrete salt (NaCl) into secretory tubes. The ATPase uses energy from ATP to pump three sodium ions out of

7663-480: The longest in birds. Adult American flamingos are smaller on average than greater flamingos , but are the largest flamingos in the Americas. They measure from 120 to 145 cm (47 to 57 in) tall. The males weigh an average of 2.8 kg (6.2 lb), while females average 2.2 kg (4.9 lb). Most of its plumage is pink, giving rise to its earlier name of rosy flamingo and differentiating adults from

7760-406: The metabolic rate of an animal in its thermoneutral zone (TNZ) while at rest. The BMR is a static rate which changes depending on factors such as the time of day or seasonal activity. Like most other birds, basic physiological adaptations control both heat loss in warm conditions and heat retention in cooler conditions. Using a system of countercurrent blood flow , heat is efficiently recycled through

7857-597: The much paler greater flamingo. The wing coverts are red, and the primary and secondary flight feathers are black. The bill is pink and white with an extensive black tip. The legs are entirely pink. The call is a goose -like honking. It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds applies. Mating and bonding behaviors of P. ruber individuals have been extensively studied in captivity. The American flamingo

7954-414: The nest site. In rare cases, one individual undertakes both duties. Within trios, the dominant pair begins the nesting process by choosing and then defending the site. For trios with one male and two females, the subordinate female is tolerated by the male, but often fights with the dominant female. If two females share a nest and both lay an egg, one female will try to destroy the other egg or roll it out of

8051-448: The nest. For trios with two males and one female, the subordinate male is tolerated by both individuals and often becomes the primary incubator and caregiver of the chicks. For quartets, the dominant male and two females take care of the nest, while the subordinate male remains around the periphery, never gaining access to the nest. Less animosity is observed between the dominant and subordinate females in quartets compared to trios. The egg

8148-465: The next during contraction. Being myogenic, the hearts pace is maintained by pacemaker cells found in the sinoatrial node, located on the right atrium. The sinoatrial node uses calcium to cause a depolarizing signal transduction pathway from the atrium through right and left atrioventricular bundle which communicates contraction to the ventricles. The avian heart also consists of muscular arches that are made up of thick bundles of muscular layers. Much like

8245-493: The osmolarity of the blood. In a hypotonic environment, cells will swell and eventually shrink; this shrinkage is due to efflux of taurine. This process also works in the opposite way in hypertonic environments. In hypertonic environments cells tend to shrink and then enlarge; this enlargement is due to an influx in taurine, effectively changing the osmotic pressure. This adaptation allows the flamingo to regulate between differences in salinity. Relatively few studies have focused on

8342-440: The plumage. A more efficient way to reduce its body temperature is through respiratory evaporative heat loss, where the flamingo engages in panting to expel excessive body heat. During the dark period the flamingos tend to tuck their heads beneath their wing to conserve body heat. They may also elicit shivering as a means of muscular energy consumption to produce heat as needed. One of the most distinctive attribute of P. ruber

8439-510: The popularity of flamingo souvenirs from the state, which was further boosted by the captive flamingos kept in Hialeah Park . South Florida and the Florida Keys were likely the northernmost strongholds of the American flamingo's distribution until they suffered a population collapse around 1900. Large flocks of flamingos reaching up to a thousand individuals (with one potential sighting of up to 2,500 individuals) were sighted throughout

8536-534: The region are common. Lake Enriquillo is home to the largest population of American crocodiles ( Crocodylus acutus ) in the Caribbean. Three species of native fish inhabit the lake: the blackbanded limia ( Limia melanonotata ), the Hispaniolan gambusia ( Gambusia hispaniolae ), and the Hispaniola pupfish ( Cyprinodon bondi ). Two endangered iguanas endemic to Hispaniola live sympatrically on around

8633-662: The rising water levels of the Pacific Ocean . Climate change also impacts island countries by causing natural disasters such as tropical cyclones , hurricanes, flash floods and droughts . Some small and low population islands do not have the resources to protect their islands and natural resources. They experience climate hazards which impact on human health, livelihoods, and inhabitable space. This can lead to pressure to leave these islands but resources to do so are often lacking as well. Many island countries rely heavily on imports and are greatly affected by changes in

8730-428: The small intestine. As seen in other saltwater birds, the fluid that is excreted has been seen to have an osmolarity greater than that of the salt water, but this varies with salt consumption and body size. As food and saltwater are ingested, sodium and water absorption begins through the walls of the gut and into the extracellular fluid . Sodium is then circulated to the kidney, where the plasma undergoes filtration by

8827-511: The south. The Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault is a later strike-slip fault , cutting across the depression, which extends from Jamaica in the west to near Neiba in the Dominican Republic in the east. The valley, a former marine strait, was created around one million years ago when the water level fell and the strait was filled in by sediments of the Yaque del Sur River . Due to this, tremors in

8924-403: The specific circulatory and cardiovascular system of the phoenicopteridae, they possess the typical features of an avian circulatory system. As is seen in other aves, the flamingo's circulatory system is closed maintaining a separation of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood. This maximizes their efficiency to meet their high metabolic needs during flight. Due to this need for increased cardiac output,

9021-409: The surrounding ambient temperature . Flamingos require both methods of efficient heat retention and release. Even though the American flamingo resides mainly close to the equator where there is relatively little fluctuation in temperature, seasonal and circadian variations in temperature must be accounted for. Like all animals, flamingos maintain a relatively constant basal metabolic rate (BMR);

9118-402: The venules to the veins a funneling occurs called vasodilation bringing blood back to the heart. Once the blood reaches the heart it moves first into the right atrium, then the left ventricle to be pumped through the lungs for further gas exchange of carbon dioxide waste for oxygen. Oxygenated blood then flows from the lungs through the left atrium to the left ventricle where it is pumped out to

9215-611: The world that operate semi-autonomously from their official sovereign states. These are often known as dependencies or overseas territories and can be similar in nature to proper island countries. Island countries have often been the basis of maritime conquest and historical rivalry between other countries. Island countries are more susceptible to attack by large, continental countries due to their size and dependence on sea and air lines of communication . Many island countries are also vulnerable to predation by mercenaries and other foreign invaders, although their isolation also makes them

9312-489: Was considered an island country for tourism purposes (among others) and is sometimes referred to as such. Phoenicopterus ruber The American flamingo ( Phoenicopterus ruber ) is a large species of flamingo native to the West Indies , northern South America (including the Galápagos Islands ) and the Yucatán Peninsula . It is closely related to the greater flamingo and Chilean flamingo , and

9409-581: Was formerly considered conspecific with the greater flamingo, but that treatment is now widely viewed (e.g. by the American and British Ornithologists' Unions ) as incorrect due to a lack of evidence. It is also known as the Caribbean flamingo , although it is also present in the Galápagos Islands. It is the only flamingo that naturally inhabits North America along with the Neotropical realm . It

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