Lesser Flamingo

Phoeniconaias minor (Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, É, 1798)

Phoenicopteridae — Flamingos

Lesser Flamingo, Phoeniconaias minor, is a flamingo of Africa and western Asia, with breeding in eastern Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Mauritania, Senegal, north-west India and south-east Pakistan. It is the smallest flamingo, and can be told from the greater flamingo by the much larger black area on the bill. Most of the plumage is pinkish white. It is found around very alkaline lakes, where it feeds mainly on Spirulina and other tiny food items. In Africa, major breeding sites include Lake Natron, Etosha Pan, Makgadikgadi Pan and Kamfers Dam.

Order
Phoenicopteriformes
Family
Phoenicopteridae — Flamingos
Breeding range
Africa, Oriental Region: e Africa, Namibia, Botswana to Mauritania and Senegal; nw India and se Pakistan
Lesser Flamingo
© leopoldo de castro · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Tours where you can spot this bird

15 tours in Kenya 5, Tanzania 4, South Africa 4, Senegal 1, India 1

16-Day Ornithological Tour in Senegal – 2027
16-Day Ornithological Tour in Senegal – 2027
Senegal / Dakar Private tour 16 days

A 16-day ornithological journey through Senegal’s Sahel, wetlands, savannas and Atlantic coast for regional specialties and migratory bird...

From USD 3,520 Next: Mar 2, 2027
Private Full-Day Mumbai Birding Tour
Private Full-Day Mumbai Birding Tour
India / Mumbai Private tour 1 day

Plan a private full-day Mumbai birding experience for no more than five guests, with a route chosen from the region’s strongest forest, we...

14-Day Eastern Arc and Northern Tanzania Birding Safari with Wings Explorers Tours
14-Day Eastern Arc and Northern Tanzania Birding Safari with Wings Explorers Tours
Tanzania / Arusha Private tour 14 days

A 14-day private Tanzania birding itinerary linking Arusha, Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti, the Usambara Mountains, Amani Nature Reserve a...

6 Days Kenya Budget Birding
6 Days Kenya Budget Birding
Kenya / Nairobi Group tour 6 days

A six-day private budget birding circuit linking Nairobi National Park, Manguo, Gatamaiyu, Lake Elementeita and two days around Lake Baringo...

Sabaki River Estuary
Sabaki River Estuary
Kenya / Nairobi Group tour 1 day

A private walking birding day at the Sabaki River Estuary, timing mudflats, sandbanks and coastal wetlands for migrant waders, gulls and ter...

Lake Elementeita
Lake Elementeita
Kenya / Nairobi Group tour 1 day

A relaxed private walking day at Lake Elementeita, exploring soda-lake shoreline and surrounding woodland for flamingos, migrants and Rift V...

Lake Bogoria
Lake Bogoria
Kenya / Nairobi Group tour 1 day

A private Rift Valley birding day at Lake Bogoria, combining flamingo concentrations, geothermal scenery and surrounding dry-country birds....

10-Day Tanzania Birding Safari with Wings Explorers Tours
10-Day Tanzania Birding Safari with Wings Explorers Tours
Tanzania / Arusha Private tour 10 days

A high-density 10-day birding program through the Arusha foothills, Maasai Steppe, Tarangire, Ngorongoro and the central Serengeti, combinin...

15-Day Luxury Birding Safari in Tanzania with Wings Explorers Tours
15-Day Luxury Birding Safari in Tanzania with Wings Explorers Tours
Tanzania / Arusha Private tour 15 days

A 15-day luxury Tanzania birding safari from Arusha to Arusha National Park, Mkomazi, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and Serengeti....

From USD 20,420
Tanzania Birds and Wildbeasts with Johnnie Uganda Safaris
Tanzania Birds and Wildbeasts with Johnnie Uganda Safaris
Tanzania / Arusha Group tour 9 days

9-day Tanzania birding and wildlife itinerary with Johnnie Uganda Safaris....

Kenya Big Game and Birds Exploration with Johnnie Uganda Safaris
Kenya Big Game and Birds Exploration with Johnnie Uganda Safaris
Kenya / Nairobi Group tour 13 days

12-day Kenya birding and wildlife itinerary with Johnnie Uganda Safaris....

4-Day West Coast Bird and Flower Tour
4-Day West Coast Bird and Flower Tour
South Africa / Cape Town Private tour 4 days

Pair spring wildflowers with West Coast and Karoo birding on a four-day route through Langebaan, Vanrhynsdorp, Nieuwoudtville and Calvinia....

3-Day Cape Town Birding Tour
3-Day Cape Town Birding Tour
South Africa / Cape Town Private tour 3 days

Spend three days linking Cape Town fynbos, False Bay, endemic-rich mountain slopes, penguin coast and the Cape Peninsula....

10-Day Western Cape Birding Tour
10-Day Western Cape Birding Tour
South Africa / Cape Town Private tour 10 days

A private or small-group Western Cape birding itinerary from Cape Town through the Cape Peninsula, West Coast, Tankwa Karoo, Agulhas Plain, ...

Private 3-Day Tankwa Karoo Birding Tour with Birding Ecotours
Private 3-Day Tankwa Karoo Birding Tour with Birding Ecotours
South Africa / Cape Town Private tour 3 days

A private three-day circuit from Cape Town through Ceres into the Tankwa Karoo for arid-zone endemics, canyon specialists and optional night...

From ZAR 17,550