Great Flamingos of Sicily, Italy
Photographing the Greater Flamingos in Sicily was a thrill of a lifetime.
The pull of Italy for me is strong, this was my fourth trip there, and each time I have been to a different location with completely different experiences.
A year ago I started planning my 2026 visit with Italian Guide, Mauro Riva, who I have had as a guide in the past. This year was to be totally different, it was to be a private tour to celebrate a milestone birthday, and I wanted three friends to join me. My first focus of the trip was to photograph wildlife, so we started looking at the Dolomite region. Then our focus changed to birds, and then to Sicily. I have wanted to photograph the Greater Flamingos for a very long time, and they were going to be in Sicily during my birthday. The flamingos had been a rare sighting in Italy before 2000, when suddenly they started to migrate and stay over in Sicily. Mauro joined forces with nature expert and guide Gabriele Lonzi, and we were now set with two guides.
We were very spoiled by Mauro and Gabriele, and this ended up being the best trip I have ever been on. It is a birthday I will always remember, and I will be writing several blogs sharing all of the various adventures I had during this journey. It was transformative, and I opened in ways I never thought possible - I haven’t laughed or cried this much in a very long time.
Inside this blog I will share with you
The two locations where I photographed the Greater Flamingo, including information about these reserves.
Greater Flamingo information, including their breeding habits
Environmental issues surrounding the Flamingos
Frustrations and positives behind photographing in wetlands
Of course, how you can commission a Greater Flamingo image.
Vendicari Nature Reserve (Riserva Naturale Orientata Oasi Faunistica di Vendicari) in southeastern Sicily was our first location.
The Greater Flamingo is only found in Africa, western Asia, and southern Europe. Typically they are found around shallow, saline and alkaline wetlands, and coastal lagoons during breeding season. When they come to Italy in the spring, they are on their migrational flight from Africa (specifically -Tunisia ) and stop over in Sicily to breed and raise their little ones before their flight to Spain.
Our first location on this reserve had two different blinds with small holes to photograph through. We then walked to another blind, where we were able to photograph a bit closer. If we would have had time there were other locations. It is a place where I would stay a week and come back every day to see what changed or not.
Vendicari Nature Reserve’s Historical Importance
The nature reserve was originally planned in 1981, but it took three more years before it was officially established as a protected reserve. There were numerous struggles of the environmental groups to ensure the area was protected, and many more bureaucratic steps that had to be followed.
In this image, note the Greater Flamingo, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Cormorant, Black winged stilt, and Little Egrets.
Image One: Great Blue Heron
Image Two: Great Blue Heron with Little Egret.
Vendicari Nature Reserve
The history of the reserve has very ancient origins. There are still standing various archaeological and architectural structures, many of them from the Greek Era and Byzantine Age.
Some remains of tuna fishing factories are still prominent. Tuna fishing was very important in Sicily and the factory was built in the 18th century, however, tuna fishing dates back to the Greek era. In 1943, after the tuna was over-fished, the facility closed its doors.
Ionian Sea borders the Vendicari reserve.
Priolo Natural Reserve, in the province of Syracuse
Our second location was the Priolo Natural Reserve. It is the only nesting site in Sicily, the rest are migrational stop overs. This location was founded in December of 2000. There has been incredible work preserving the area by Lipu, who has been managing this area since 2001. First documented chicks in this area were in 2015. Lipu is the Italian League for the protection of birds.
Scenes like this take my breath away, and makes me shake my head wondering just what are we doing?
Priolo Natural Reserve with a Petrochemical Plant in The Background
Although this beautiful reserve has the backdrop of a petrochemical plant, which looks like a Dystopian image, the Flamingos are doing really well in this area. It is definitely not something I expected as I peered through the holes in the blinds to photograph the flamingos.
Well, this image just makes me laugh. I’m sure it has something to do with mating, but still - what a long neck.
Priolo Natural Reserve is protected
The 2nd location was a walk on a dirt road, and then a climb over and through some tree branches. In this way the area is more secluded and protected. Again, we photographed through a couple different blinds and were able to get some closer shots of the flamingos. Shooting through the blind, although is not my favorite method of photography, keeps the animals safe and ensures they are not spooked by humans and then consequently abandon their nest because they would think the area is unsafe.
Greater Flamingo in Flight - doesn’t it look happy? This is when you can really see the colors of the wings.
Greater Flamingo Information, Including Their Breeding Habits
The Greater Flamingos are distributed from Africa and southern Europe through West Asia to South Asia. They have a very large, long neck, a big kinked bill, and very long pinkish legs. Plumage at rest is whitish with pale pink blush with some deep pink visible on the edge of the closed wings. When they fly their long necks and legs are extended. It is at this point the deep pink, and black wing patterns are on display. This flamingo is linked to the myths of the phoenix - the firebird rising from ashes.
To begin flying, they must run across the water in order to get airborne, and then do the reverse when they land. This is another reason why it is important for them to be in shallow water, and for us not to frighten them. Doesn’t the Flamingo in the above image look like it’s smiling and content?
The Greater Flamingos stand on one leg to help regulate their body temperature. The water is very cold, so by standing on one leg, they do not get as cold.
Breeding
During mating season the Greater Flamingo is monogamous, unless the brood is unsuccessful, then the female will look for another mate. They typically only have one brood and only lay a single egg. Incubation is carried out by both members of the pair. This period lasts around 27 - 36 days. The adult survival rate is high, with some members living up to 40 years.
The success of the nest depends upon the water level - if it is too low, the hatchlings are exposed and vulnerable to prey. If the water is too high, the nests will drown, and nesting will not be successful.
All in a row - Grater flamingos. Note the S curves of their necks.
This image was taken later than the first one, perhaps when the factories stopped for the day.
Greater Flamingo Environmental Issues
Although, visits to Italy from the Greater Flamingos started in 2000, they were considered rare before 2015, and then magically they started showing up, and now one can find hundreds of them in Sicily.
However, they, just like most other birds and mammals, are suffering from habitat loss, hunting, trapping, collisions with structures or vehicles, and sadly from lead poisoning. There are currently around 500,000 and 900,000 individual Greater Flamingos in the world.
Greater Flamingos. I love the groupings and observing all of the interactions. Ah, Love…
Frustrations and Positives Behind Photographing in Wetlands
First and foremost when we photograph at a wetland, we have to consider the safety of the animals we are photographing. I will be the first to admit that I get very excited about photographing what is in front of me, and I am far from perfect, but most of the time I think about how my presence is impacting the animals I am photographing.
Photographing through a blind, especially ones with little holes barely large enough for a camera, is not the best photography situation, but we adapt for the safety of the birds.
During the second location, a young family arrived to look at the birds. I invited a little girl to sit by me and tried to get her to use my binoculars to help her see the birds, she tried, but was unsuccessful, but it was a special moment I will remember. And hopefully, one day she will become a wildlife photographer or an environmentalist who helps protect the birds.
I hear many people say, Ah, my cellphone is so good, I don’t need a camera. The first image, in this series, is taken with my cellphone, the second one is with my camera. Yet, it is not just the camera that makes a good photo, it is the years of experience and the understanding of the tools you are using. I admit some great candid shots or landscape shots can be taken with a cellphone - if you know what you are doing. The same applies to an expensive camera. If you do not have the skills, the image will be no better than a cellphone.
Questions I had
Many questions swirled in my head as I planned and flew across the land and ocean heading to Sicily.
Would we be able to find flamingos to photograph?
If we found them, would they be too far away to photograph?
I know they are sensitive to human presence, and I didn’t want them to abandon their breeding grounds because of us. What care would be taken at the wetlands?
As you can see through this blog, my questions were all answered.
Gifts for my friends.
I Was Obsessed With Photographing the Greater Flamingos.
I was so obsessed with finding and photographing the Greater Flamingos, I even bought my friends gifts for accompanying me on this birthday celebration - adorable flexible flamingos and scarves we could throw over our travel clothes during dinner to look a bit more fashionable - of course it’s impossible to keep up with Italian style - whew. We had so much fun “playing” with our Flamingos.
Flamingo Images For Your Home - I didn’t want to leave.
I was so drawn to the area and the birds; I really didn’t want to leave. I hope you have enjoyed reading about these rare birds, birds we do not have in the U.S.
These images are not yet on my website, but I am working on it. If you are interested in any of these images for your home, please let me know through my contact page. I also have other image of the flamingos - just a few… lol. If you want to see any of them from a particular sequence in this blog, let me know, and I’ll work with you.
Stay tuned for future blogs about my journey to Sicily, Italy. Next blog will be about the White Storks I had the fortunate opportunity to photograph.
Thank you for supporting my conservation efforts. Let’s do what we can to help save our amazing birds of the world . Linda Dalton Walker
Image credit: Sue Halligan
…“It begins by holding each other’s eyes
the way we behold sunrises or the first cherry blossoms,
which is to say we assume we’ll find beauty there.
And perhaps some display of open hands—
a gesture with palms up—that suggests both
I offer myself to you and I receive you
There should be a quiet moment in which
we hear each other breathe—
knowing it’s the sound of the ocean inside us……”
From- For When We Greet Each Other, by poet Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
