Flamingo from Argentina (1 Viewer)

[petomikula]

Hi all,
I found this specimen of flamingo in one local museum in Slovakia. Locality of collection is Cushamen, Chubut, Argentina. This specimen was originally identified as Andean Flamingo (Phoenicoparrus andinus) but I would say that this is James's Flamingo (Phoenicoparrus jamesi) according to the black tip on the beak. The problem is that both those species are distributed outside region where museum specimen was collected. There is one more species of flamingo in Argentina, Chilean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis), but it seems to be quite different from my specimen.

Thank you very much for help.

Best,
PM

 

[mjh73]

Hi all,
I found this specimen of flamingo in one local museum in Slovakia. Locality of collection is Cushamen, Chubut, Argentina. This specimen was originally identified as Andean Flamingo (Phoenicoparrus andinus) but I would say that this is James's Flamingo (Phoenicoparrus jamesi) according to the black tip on the beak. The problem is that both those species are distributed outside region where museum specimen was collected. There is one more species of flamingo in Argentina, Chilean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis), but it seems to be quite different from my specimen.

Thank you very much for help.

Best,
PM

Immature Andean Flamingo on head and bill shape, plumage colouration. That big semi-circular keel on the bill makes it Andean for me, would be much shallower in a Chilean.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/1370342

James has a smaller, rounder head and a stubbier bill - the bill being about the same length as the head.

Flamingos can pop up a long way out of range, but when you're relying on the tag on a specimen it's not necessarily tagged correctly anyway!

 

[Cinereous]

Immature Andean Flamingo on head and bill shape, plumage colouration. That big semi-circular keel on the bill makes it Andean for me, would be much shallower in a Chilean.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/1370342

James has a smaller, rounder head and a stubbier bill - the bill being about the same length as the head.

Flamingos can pop up a long way out of range, but when you're relying on the tag on a specimen it's not necessarily tagged correctly anyway!

That's an extraordinary long bill.. Baring in mind the yellow is most likely painted on.. Much longer than both Andean and James, or even Chilean.. Wouldn't it be more likely a juv Caribbean/American flamingo?

 

[mjh73]

That's an extraordinary long bill.. Baring in mind the yellow is most likely painted on.. Much longer than both Andean and James, or even Chilean.. Wouldn't it be more likely a juv Caribbean/American flamingo?

Continuing on my 'it could be completely mislabelled' theme you might be on to something there! :-O

 

[Bryon Wright]

Hi all,
the limpkin in the display provides a clue to its provenance as well! This is the species of American Flamingo, Audubon painted with same the bill structure. James's Flamingo is a sort of high altitude lesser flamingo derivative.

 

[Cinereous]

You know the proportions of the head neck and body are completely wrong... It's almost as if its two separate birds.. the head/neck of a Caribbean/American flamingo stitched to the body of a juv James/Andean.. The body looks way too small.. and what's happened to it's webbed feet?? It may well be the taxidermist gave it a slim body..