Phoeniconaias minor
Silhouette: Lee Harding (photo), John E. McCormack, Michael G. Harvey, Brant C. Faircloth, Nicholas G. Crawford, Travis C. Glenn, Robb T. Brumfield & T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The lesser flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor) is a species of flamingo occurring in sub-Saharan Africa and western India. Birds are occasionally reported from farther north, but these are generally considered vagrants. The lesser flamingo is the smallest species of flamingo, though it is a tall and large bird by most standards. The species can weigh from 1.2 to 2.7 kg (2.6 to 6.0 lb). The standing height is around 80 to 90 cm (31 to 35 in). The total length (from beak to tail) and wingspan are in the same range of measurements, from 90 to 105 cm (35 to 41 in).
Most of the plumage is pinkish white. The clearest difference between this species and the greater flamingo, the only other Old World species of flamingo, is the much more extensive black on the bill. Size is less helpful to distinguish the two species, unless they occur together, since the sexes of each species also differ in height.
The extinct species Phoeniconaias proeses in the same genus, from the Pliocene of Australia, is thought to have been even smaller. The lesser flamingo may be the most common species of flamingo, with a population that (at its peak) probably numbered up to two million... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Nakuru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | West Coast National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 4 | Arusha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 5 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 6 | Queen Elizabeth National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 7 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 8 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 9 | De Hoop Nature Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 10 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 11 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 12 | Lake Manyara National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 13 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 14 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 15 | Doñana National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 16 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 17 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mumbai | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Kuwait City | 🇰🇼 Kuwait | |
| 3 | Karachi | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | |
| 4 | Cape Town | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Johannesburg | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Flamingo sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, based on 51 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 235th most-seen of the 351 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Flamingo in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, against under 5% in January to November, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lesser Flamingo sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
10th of 17
Of the 17 parks where we can rate Lesser Flamingo sightings, iSimangaliso Wetland Park ranks 10th at under 5%. The best odds are in Lake Nakuru National Park (Kenya, about 70%), West Coast National Park (South Africa, about 60%) and Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Tanzania, about 50%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Lesser Flamingo is recorded against all the birds logged in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (51 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
