After decades of dispersal movements in North Africa, the Lesser Flamingo makes its first breeding attempt in the region.
For decades, the Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor) was considered a rare, accidental visitor to the Maghreb, but recent years have shown a interesting shift in their dispersal behaviour. Historically, sightings of this “Near Threatened” species in North Africa were sparse, occurring only every two to six years. However, starting in 2019, observations began to increase significantly, particularly in Tunisia, which saw a peak of four records in 2021 alone (Chedad et al. 2026).
The Lesser Flamingos are known for their erratic and wide-ranging dispersal, often traveling long distances from their breeding grounds in sub-Saharan Africa. While individuals recorded in Morocco likely originate from the West African colonies, those found in Tunisia and eastern Algeria are believed to travel from the East African populations (Chedad et al. 2026). These increasingly frequent visits to North African wetlands may have hinted that the region might soon become more than just a temporary dispersal area.
From dispersal to the first breeding attempt
These increasingly regular dispersal movements by Lesser Flamingos culminated in 2025, when the first-ever breeding attempt in Tunisia and North Africa was documented at the Monastir saltpans in Tunisia (Hamza et al. 2026).
During the summer of 2025, these researchers discovered a pair of Lesser Flamingo building a nest and actively incubating it within a colony of Greater Flamingo. Although the final outcome of this breeding attempt remains unknown, the event nevertheless represents a significant milestone, occurring more than five decades after the species was first recorded in North Africa and 15 years after its first record in Tunisia in 2010.
References:
Chedad, A., Khanfri, N., Azafzaf, H. Feltrup-Azafzaf, C., Rebah, S., Ayeb, S., Dakki, M., El Hamoumi, R. & Amezian, M. 2026. Status and distribution of the Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor in the Maghreb. Go-South Bulletin 23: 01-06.
Hamza, F., Dlensi, H. & Chokri, M.-A. 2026. First breeding record of Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor in Tunisia and North Africa. Bull ABC 33: 99-100.
