“Red Book”: Kazakhstani filmed a flock of flamingos on video

Tengrinews.kz – A Kazakhstani captured on video a flock of flamingos that arrived at Lake Shalkar.

An Instagram user shared colorful footage in their stories. The video shows bright pink flamingos in flight: the birds gracefully rise into the sky and line up in long, slender wedges, demonstrating coordination and elegance of movement.

What the reserve says

We clarified with the Korgalzhyn Nature Reserve where exactly the footage was taken.

“The filming took place outside the reserve, near a neighboring village, at Lake Shalkar. From time to time, flocks of flamingos choose this lake to rest and feed,” the reserve reported.

illustrative
photo provided by Korgalzhyn Nature Reserve

According to the reserve, the greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) is a relict inhabitant of the Korgalzhyn steppes. The bird is easily recognizable by its long slender legs, flexible neck, and large beak with a distinctive curve. It is a fairly large bird: males weigh 4–4.5 kilograms, females about 3 kilograms, with a height reaching 145–150 centimeters.

“Flamingos choose saline lakes for living and nesting, where they find food. They filter silt and water through their beaks, feeding on small crustaceans, mollusks, insect larvae, and plant seeds. To do this, they make characteristic side-to-side head movements, as if mowing grass. Their main food is the brine shrimp Artemia salina,” the reserve reminded.

The species is listed in Kazakhstan’s Red Book. According to the Korgalzhyn Reserve, about 5,500 flamingos nested there in 2024, while in the spring of 2025, around 6,500 arrived.