At times vast numbers of Lesser Flamingos are to be seen at Walvis Bay. Since 1994 the highest number recorded there in the wetland counts has been a staggering 32,377 individuals counted in the summer of 1996. But have Lesser Flamingos always been present at Walvis Bay in these numbers? Under "Historical Distribution and Conservation" the Atlas of Southern African Birds Volume 1 Non-Passerines (Harrison et al - 1997) states "There is no evidence of changes in historical distribution or abundance in southern Africa. It may have benefited from the creation of saltworks and sewage works: these provide nonbreeding refuges which have probably increased survival rates during droughts."