While greater flamingos depend on salt workers in the Camargue Delta in southern France, lesser flamingos may soon be fleeing from them on another important site.
Greater flamingos are cherished in Europe and in the Camargue, have not bred for the first time in 30 years because striking salt workers have stopped pumping seawater into the wetland, the Times reports. Long term threats to the 15,000 strong colony are unlikely because the birds should return next year. But in Tanzania, lesser flamingos may not be so lucky. Lake Natron, in the Great Rift Valley, is home to half a million lesser flamingos but may soon be turned into a soda factory. The Indian chemicals company, Tata, wants to extract salt from the lake for export, which would force the flamingos to leave for good. Kenyan conservationists have started a petition against the development and you can sign up from the RSPB's website. Dr Chris Magin, International Officer at the RSPB, said: "This could be the beginning of the end for Lake Natron and the world's most important site for lesser flamingos. Three quarters of the world's breeding population uses Lake Natron and there is no evidence that these birds will breed elsewhere." Sign the petition here Read about the Camargue flamingos here