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Greater Flamingo fitted with a solar-powered satellite tracker, flying at Mile 4 on 30/5/13 (photo Katharina Reddig)

Bird Information System

Satellite tracking of flamingos

Flight paths for wetland flagships

The tracking of flagship Red Data wetland bird species such as flamingos is a ground-breaking initiative of the "Flight paths for wetland flagships" project, funded by the Environmental Investment Fund (EIF), the Nedbank Go Green Fund and the NamPower/NNF Strategic Partnership.

Two Greater Flamingos and one Lesser Flamingo were successfully fitted with GPS satellite tracking devices (platform terminal transmitters or PTTs) at Mile 4 Saltworks, Swakopmund in January 2013. One of the Greater Flamingoes died near Walvis Bay in August 2013. The transmitter was recovered and refurbished, with funding provided by the Go Green Fund. This was fitted to another Greater Flamingo captured at Mile 4 Saltworks on 1 March 2014.

It is hoped that the flight paths that emerge from this project will indicate focal areas for addressing potential interactions between flamingos and overhead lines – one of the main concerns of the Partnership. It should be kept in mind, however, that at best, the data obtained will indicate a straight line between two reliable GPS coordinates, and that further investigations will be needed to plot actual flight paths between such points in more detail. Large-scale movements eastwards and inland were anticipated only after good rains inland, and the project unfortunately hit a relatively dry period, with limited movement inland during the summer of 2012/2013. This trend has continued during the past summer (2013/2014), with the birds still not showing signs of migrating inland.

In total, four Greater Flamingos and one Lesser Flamingo have been successfully fitted with GPS satellite tracking devices under the "Flight paths for wetland flagships" project, funded by the Environmental Investment Fund (EIF), the Nedbank Go Green Fund and the NamPower/NNF Strategic Partnership.

You can view full records here:

» Greater Flamingo (122802; January - August 2013) View full records

» Lesser Flamingo (122803; January - June 2013) View full records

» Greater Flamingo (122804a; January - August 2013) View full records

» Greater Flamingo (122804b; March - September 2014) View full records

» Greater Flamingo (122804c; November 2014 - ) No records available yet

Latest records for the satellite tracked flamingos

These are the latest records added for the satellite tracked flamingos.

Species (transmitter)	Date	Time

Greater Flamingo (122804b)	01/09/2014	07:43:06
Greater Flamingo (122804b)	01/09/2014	06:57:15
Greater Flamingo (122804b)	01/09/2014	06:50:40
Greater Flamingo (122804b)	01/09/2014	05:33:21
Greater Flamingo (122804b)	01/09/2014	05:10:20
Greater Flamingo (122804b)	01/09/2014	03:51:30
Greater Flamingo (122804b)	01/09/2014	03:51:28
Greater Flamingo (122804b)	01/09/2014	03:31:32
Greater Flamingo (122804b)	01/09/2014	02:11:51
Greater Flamingo (122804b)	01/09/2014	02:08:49
Greater Flamingo (122804b)	24/08/2014	23:25:33
Greater Flamingo (122804b)	24/08/2014	21:25:03
Greater Flamingo (122804b)	24/08/2014	20:35:03
Greater Flamingo (122804b)	24/08/2014	19:41:37
Greater Flamingo (122804b)	24/08/2014	17:54:12
Greater Flamingo (122804b)	24/08/2014	17:09:40
Greater Flamingo (122804b)	17/08/2014	15:51:06
Greater Flamingo (122804b)	17/08/2014	15:50:12
Greater Flamingo (122804b)	17/08/2014	15:47:19
Greater Flamingo (122804b)	17/08/2014	15:08:46

Latest locations of the satellite tracked flamingos

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