National

Appreciating The Beauty Of The Inagua Flamingos

INAGUA – The history of the Caribbean flamingo is one filled with an incredible and encouraging story of environmental conservation and partnerships that’s reaping major wins for the national bird.

Published

12 months ago

June 5, 2025

Joshua Williams

INAGAUA – They’re known for their vibrant pink color, distinctively long necks, and graceful movements.

The history of the Caribbean flamingo is one filled with an incredible and encouraging story of environmental conservation and partnerships that’s reaping major wins for the national bird.

But it wasn’t always this way. Experts say that back in the 1950s, there were fewer than 5,000 birds, all of them on one island.

The flamingo population dwindled for several reasons, including hunting. Not long after that, a U.S.-based group noticed the decline in flamingos across the region and created the Society for the Protection of Flamingos.

Today, there are millions of flamingos globally, with more than fifty thousand of them living in The Bahamas. Now, flamingos can be found on Acklins and Crooked Island, Mayaguana, Andros, and Long Island.

Senior Park Warden at the Inagua National Park, Randolph Burrows, says the island is the perfect home for the majestic birds.

Randolph Burrows – Senior Park Warden, Inagua National Park
“Because the birds were protected here, the birds that used to be on the other islands, I guess they found out Inagua was a safe haven. Big lake, plenty food.”

Flamingos have also been linked to the successful salt industry on the island.

Randolph Burrows – Senior Park Warden, Inagua National Park
“Morton utilizes a portion of Lake Rosa, where they continually pump sea water in, and that’s where most of the birds spend most of the year, on the Morton reservoir system, feeding.”

But how do they spend their days living in paradise? Pretty much carefree… but Burrows says there are threats.

Randolph Burrows – Senior Park Warden, Inagua National Park
“We’ve had occurrences in the past where the wild hogs came and, y’know, just ate up, wiped them out, ate up all the eggs. That’s normally when the birds nest kinda along the edge of the lake, where there is bush and stuff, and the hogs have easy access.”

Warden Burrows says that while he enjoys time with his birds in the southern islands, he wants to share the experience with others.

Randolph Burrows – Senior Park Warden, Inagua National Park
“We just need the people to come and enjoy it, y’know. Dassit. Plain and simple, we gat what we need.”