Today we had one of the best sightings of greater flamingos on Floreana Island of recent months. Some of these splendid creatures were just a few feet away from us. They waded about and moved their beaks and feet underwater for us. This wonderful bird (Phoenicopterus ruber), meaning "red-winged," is named after the mythical phoenix, the bird that consumes itself by fire to rise again from the ashes. They really look like living birds in flames.

Greater flamingos are found in the major brackish lagoons of the archipelago on the islands of Floreana, Santa Cruz, Isabela, Santiago and Rábida, and on Bainbridge Rocks. Greater flamingos have a lifespan of some 15 to 20 years, breeding for the first time at about five years of age. Males weigh 8 pounds and females 6 1/2 pounds. Inside their characteristic bills are a series of sieve-like plates that strain tiny invertebrates -- "organic ooze" -- from the water and mud. A long tongue acts as a piston, drawing the water out the bill, forcing the invertebrate food to pass through the plates.

It is estimated that the total population of flamingos in the archipelago is around 500 individuals, so they are considered vulnerable. Today we were able to count 56 of them!