Over 4,000 larger flamingos can be found in Al Wathba Wetland Reserve every winter, when nesting activity peaks. Ten larger flamingos who were saved from the Al Wathba Wetland Reserve in February have been successfully rehabilitated by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) in collaboration with the Yas SeaWorld Research and Rescue Centre on Yas Island. The Al-Mizr low pressure system had a significant influence on the reserve, resulting in severe rainfall and exceptionally huge hail showers. This led to the rescue operation.
Every year, the mostly migratory Greater Flamingo makes its way back to Abu Dhabi from its breeding colonies in Central Asia. Key wetlands in the United Arab Emirates, such as Al Wathba Wetland Reserve and nearby coastal locations, are home to a large number of these flamingos.Flamingos are likely to start reproducing again shortly, helping to make up for the losses brought on by the hailstorm, since the species breeds in many cycles during the winter and early summer in the reserve.
Over 4,000 larger flamingos can be found in Al Wathba Wetland Reserve every winter, when nesting activity peaks.
During the winter breeding season of 2023–2024, the reserve reported 1,270 breeding pairs, showing that it is on track to restore losses sustained during the nesting season without the need for human intervention.
Under the direction of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the 4.5 square kilometer Al Wathba Wetland Reserve was created in 1998 as Abu Dhabi’s first protected area after multiple successful flamingo breeding seasons. The Arabian Peninsula’s only regular breeding location for greater flamingos is the reserve overseen by EAD.
The reserve became the first location in Abu Dhabi to be added to the international Ramsar List of Wetlands, a testament to its worldwide significance. Al Wathba was listed on the global Green List of protected areas and natural conservation areas by the International Union for Conservation of natural (IUCN) in 2018.
The EAD has been keeping a careful eye on the reserve’s terrestrial and marine bird species since 2002. The EAD began employing cutting-edge satellite monitoring instruments in 2005 to keep an eye on the greater flamingos’ movements and migration patterns, particularly their summertime migrations to northern areas.
The greater flamingo population in the reserve’s wetlands was being observed by the agency’s rangers since the storm’s early hours, according to Ahmed Al Hashemi, executive director of EAD’s Terrestrial and Marine Biodiversity Sector. When it became apparent that a large number of birds had been hurt by hailstones, EAD promptly launched an emergency response, deploying four teams to retrieve the injured birds and take them to The Yas SeaWorld Research and Rescue Center for recuperation.
Seven recently hatched chicks, ranging in age from one to three days, were also successfully rescued by the crews and received emergency care at the center. In order to guarantee that the chicks continued to be under the center’s care and monitoring, four eggs that were about to hatch were also saved. The birds’ examinations and autopsy were carried out in collaboration with Yas SeaWorld Research
