From Deseret News archives:

Seeing pink: Flamingos have made themselves at home of the Yucatan coast

Published: Saturday, Dec. 31, 2005 5:47 p.m. MST
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
Another major Yucatan flamingo colony interrelated to Celestun can be found at Rio Lagartos on the peninsula's remote and less-developed northern coast.

About 200 miles from Celestun by car, Rio Lagartos is home to as many as 20,000 birds during August's peak breeding season. Breeding flamingos will begin leaving the Celestun area for Rio Lagartos in mid- to late-April and then return around October. Nonbreeding flamingos will remain in Celestun year-round.

Nearer to Cancun and the Mexican Riviera, Rio Lagartos offers visitors a great day-trip opportunity or overnighter by rental car.


Fast fact: In the pink

If beta carotene is reduced or eliminated from a flamingo's diet, its pink color fades to nearly white. In zoos, parks and aviaries, bird keepers augment their menus with alternative sources of beta carotene to keep their birds "in the pink."


E-mail: chuck@desnews.com

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

Image
Chuck Gates, Deseret Morning News

American flamingos congregate in the Ria Celestun lagoon off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula.

previousnext

Latest comments

Residents protest Elk Ridge ordinance

I could not believe the mentality of some of the residents that attended the...

Budget hinges on economic growth

Governor Herbert is doing what he is paid to do -- manage well as tightly as...

Just go back to being royal blue and give up the navy blue. Be true to...

My best to Tiger. This will not be easy to fix and more importantly it will...

Barack Obama plunged us into a recession? How is that possible considering we...

It is a great blessing to live so close and have this opportunity. Still, it...

hehe. Unintentional humor at its best.

LDS to emphasize helping needy

The only ones who think they are Christians are Mormons(FLDS,LDS) a good...

Wall Street regulatory overhaul

Let's not forget that the economy tanked well before Obama was in office.

Editorial: Another BCS mess

For the teams in the big six conferences every week is a playoff, and that is...

Advertisements