Potential nomadism in sub-adult Lesser Flamingos Phoeniconaias minor: insights from satellite telemetry on movement, home ranges and habitat use in India

Unlike in its African range, very little information is available on the movement patterns of Lesser Flamingos in India. In one of the first satellite telemetry studies of Lesser Flamingos in India, we provide novel insights into the species’ movement patterns, which may further supplement the existing management of their key feeding and breeding sites. We investigated the daily movement patterns corresponding to the Lesser Flamingo’s feeding strategies, long-distance movements corresponding to potential nomadism, home range patterns and habitat use across important feeding sites in India. We deployed GPS-GSM satellite transmitters on four sub-adults and tracked their movements between September 2022 and July 2023. Their home ranges were calculated using kernel density estimators, and movement patterns were calculated using the Tracking Analyst toolbox in ArcGIS software. Habitat use was investigated by employing a robust machine-learning algorithm, Random Forest. The four Lesser Flamingos covered a mean ± SD distance of 2541.55 ± 1946.04 km per month, and an average daily distance of 83.45 ± 64.63 km. Long-distance movements were observed in two individuals. Overall, the mean home ranges (95% KDE) were calculated as 223.82 ± 337.48 km2 and core areas (50% KDE) as 39.14 ± 65.71 km2. The birds’ movements were positively associated with saltpans, mudflats, waterbodies and intertidal swamps. The long-distance movement pattern observed hints at the Lesser Flamingos’ nomadism, switching between key feeding sites across Gujarat and Maharashtra. This requires the conservation of their key feeding sites, in particular, and their breeding sites in general.