Venice’s growing flamingo population finds refuge in recovering wetlands
Summary
Flamingos are increasingly appearing in Venice’s lagoon, a sign that efforts to restore the area’s wetlands are working. Nearly 24,000 flamingos were counted last winter, making Venice an important wintering place for these birds in Europe.Key Facts
- Flamingos began appearing in the Venetian Lagoon in the early 2000s, mainly in remote fishing areas and mudflats.
- The local Venetian dialect has no word for flamingos, showing they are newcomers to the area.
- Last winter, about 24,000 flamingos stayed in the lagoon, which is a record number.
- Most flamingos are found in the northern lagoon, where natural salt marshes provide food and shelter.
- Efforts are underway to rebuild salt marshes in the southern lagoon, which was badly damaged by erosion.
- Rebuilding wetlands may increase flamingo numbers and reduce conflicts between birds and human activities.
- Flamingos have tried to nest in the lagoon before but have not yet successfully established a colony.
- The Venetian Lagoon originally had nearly half of its area covered by salt marshes, but now only about 7% remain, half of which have been restored.
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