-
France set to pass emergency ‘budget law’: is it good or bad for your finances?
The country will effectively be without a budget from 2025, with knock-on effects for individuals and companies
-
EasyJet announces nine new flight routes from France including to UK
A service from Bordeaux to Birmingham is among the new announcements
-
French weekend weather outlook December 14 - 15: gloomy and chilly in the north
Cloudy skies are expected to dominate in the north, but in the south temperatures will still reach double figures
Flamingo spotted in Mont-Saint-Michel Bay in northern France
It is thought that the bird has escaped from a safari park or zoo and is not one of the Camargue flamingos from the south of France
A Chilean flamingo has been spotted in Mont-Saint-Michel Bay (Located between Brittany and Normandy), having – it is believed – escaped from a zoo.
The bird was seen by Sébastien Provost of Birding Mont-Saint-Michel on Monday morning (October 24).
Étonnante observation d'un flamant du Chili ce matin dans la Baie ! pic.twitter.com/Oj99zphyRp
— Birding Mont-Saint-Michel (@BirdingMsm) October 24, 2022
“This is a species frequently found in [safari] parks and zoos, which also sometimes breeds in nature. The bird in the bay is almost surely not wild,” he told Actu.fr.
“We spotted it from Mont Manet and we decided to go to the Bec d’Andaine to see it closer up.”
The bird looks healthy and is eating well in the bay.
Chilean flamingos have a slightly pinker plumage than the larger greater flamingo, but are not as intensely colourful as the Caribbean flamingo.
The Chilean species can be identified by its grey legs with pink joints, and the large amount of black on its beak.
“We remember a Chilean flamingo that came to the Bay for over 10 years and which was found dead at the base of [tidal island] Tombelaine in 2012,” Mr Provost added.
Greater flamingos can also be sighted in the Camargue (Provence), where an artificial island created in the Etang du Fangassier in the 1970s has facilitated their breeding.
These flamingos are wild and can generally be spotted all year round, although the best time to see their mating dances and new plumage is between December and March.
“The wild pink flamingo [of Camargue] is unlikely to be seen in [Mont-Saint-Michel] bay, but sometimes it does drift northwards. One was recently seen in the Seine estuary,” Mr Provost said.
Related articles
Birdwatcher’s guide to France: Nature reserves, parks and trails
France's flamingo population booms post-COVID lockdown
Snakes, wader birds and the wrath of hunters in French countryside