Dazzling pictures of flocking flamingos

Journey and panorama photographer Raj Mohan has captured these beautiful pictures of flamingos on Pulicat lake in Tamil Nadu, India. The birds sometimes journey there in response to altering situations

By Gege Li

THESE wonderful formations of flamingos, captured by photographer Raj Mohan, add a stunning wash of pink to Pulicat Lake in Tamil Nadu, India.

Though flamingos aren’t usually migratory, their colonies aren’t at all times everlasting both, and the birds will typically get hold of new breeding grounds of their 1000’s as a result of components like modifications in local weather or water stage. Right here, they’ve chosen to settle in a 750-square-kilometre expanse of shallow water, one teeming with fish and plankton.

Flamingos are inclined to fly in a “V” formation throughout such journeys, which saves them power to allow them to journey additional. Members of the flock take it in turns to steer the V and tackle the brunt of the wind resistance, whereas these behind every fly barely above the fowl in entrance of them, additional decreasing drag. Down on the bottom, formations can tackle extra inventive shapes, as proven by the heart-like association within the picture beneath.

Mohan was spurred to doc these epic avian congregations after questioning why he solely noticed the flamingos on the lake between November and Could. Now, he spends time annually observing the birds’ actions and photographing their formations – one thing that isn’t essentially difficult, however requires plenty of endurance, he says.

“The way they always stick together in colonies is fascinating,” says Mohan. “Being an aerial photographer, I wanted to know what it’s like to see these colonies from above. It’s amazing to watch them making different formations, and those shapes are pure art!”