The Flaming Pink: The Resilient Life of Flamingos at Lake Nakuru

In the rift valley of western Kenya, there is a lake called Lake Naguru. Standing at a high place and looking into the distance, the red light on the lake shines like flames burning on the lake. But upon closer inspection, it turns out to be birds - flocks of flamingos.

The flamingo is a large wading bird with a tall body and small eyes. It has long wings and short tail feathers. Its long beak is like a sickle, and its long neck is curved. Its feathers are red, and its legs are also red, and these red legs are thin and long. In order to protect themselves, flamingos often gather in groups of thousands. When they dance in groups, they bloom like a peach forest; when they fly around the lake, they surge like red clouds.

However, flamingos are not born red. Newborn flamingos have a gray-brown body color and legs. After a year, they have grown to the same size as adult birds, but their body color is still gray-brown. Three years later, after several molts, their feathers turn red. So, how do their feathers turn red?

The lake where flamingos inhabit is not an ordinary lake, but an alkaline lake. The water in Lake Naguru is salty, and because it is located at the equator, the light shining on the lake is scorching. However, this salty water and scorching light have caused a special type of algae to grow in the lake. The reason why flamingos are all pink is the result of long-term consumption of this algae, because this algae contains a special type of erythroid.

It's dinner time again. In the shallow water by the lake, a flamingo buries its head in the water and stirs the water with its long beak. With the flamingo's stirring, the algae floats to the surface. The flamingo swallows the algae that floats up into its mouth, but it doesn't swallow the muddy water and dregs together because it has a filter plate in its mouth. This filter plate acts like a sieve, filtering out excess water and dregs. Nature is full of wonders, but only flamingos use filters to forage.

The water in the alkaline lake is corrosive, but the horny scales on the legs of flamingos are thick enough to resist this corrosion.

Flamingos have no teeth and cannot peck or bite; although their beaks are long, they are not sharp. Therefore, although they look huge, they are different from birds of prey such as eagles and falcons. They are kind and weak birds - flamingos do not harm weaker animals , but they are inevitably injured by other animals, such as sea eagles, bald storks, baboons, and hyenas. Although their pink feathers are beautiful, they are always in danger of being attacked because they are too conspicuous. But flamingos are alert. At any time, there are sentries in the flock. Once they detect an enemy situation, the sentries immediately call the police. If the danger comes from the sky, they dive into the water; if the danger comes from underwater, they soar into the sky and fly high. They protect themselves in this way, so that their group can continue.

The salty water and scorching light not only did not hinder or suppress the life of flamingos, but also promoted their growth, making life more beautiful and good. Therefore, suffering does not necessarily make people fall and hate, but also makes people strive, love and grow . Because suffering is sometimes a disguised blessing. As the Indian poet Tagore said: "Your burden will become a gift, and the suffering you endure will light your way."