Flamingos and rare Melani return to Akrotiri

More than a thousand flamingos have returned to Akrotiri Salt Lake following recent rainfall, with numbers increasing daily, Akrotiri environmental and education centre (AEEC) manager Dr Thomas Hadjikyriakou confirmed on Thursday. Hadjikyriakou said Melani – a rare black female flamingo who has been visiting since 2015 – was among them. Images: Christos Theodorides (Cyprus Mail) “Melani exhibits a phenomenon named ‘melanism’, a genetic mutation which turns feather colour to black rather than the normal bird colours and it is wonderful to see she is back and doing well,” he said. “Her return means that more people can enjoy this wonderful bird as well as the rest of the flock wandering around the salt lake. We are all very excited because this is likely the only melanistic flamingo in the world and very little is known about it,” he added. Hadjikyriakou warned that people should not try to approach the bird or walk into the lake, as this would disturb the birds and the habitat, and urged visitors to take advantage of the centre’s facilities. Georgia Theodorou, who monitors the flamingos at the centre, called on people to “take the opportunity to come and visit us, as there is an observation deck here at the centre with four telescopes looking towards the salt lake”. Images from Melani’s first visits to Cyprus in 2015 Every year the flamingos flock to the salt lake to feed on brine shrimps and plankton, with a number staying all-year round if conditions remain suitable. “The flamingos usually stay between October and February but there is no way of telling how long they will stay for, so my advice would be to take the opportunity to see them as soon as you can,” Theodorou said.