Times of the Islands Spring 2022

green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
While there are six species of flamingoes around the
world, the only species found in the TCI is the American
flamingo (also known as the Caribbean or West Indian flamingo).
They are found throughout Caribbean due to the
ideal conditions for nesting grounds on various islands.
Flamingoes like to nest in salinas (large flat pools historically
used for salt production), as the salt-encrusted,
damp mud is inaccessible to flamingo predators such as
cats and birds. It is currently estimated that there are
260,000–330,000 mature American flamingoes in the
Caribbean, making it a species of least concern on the
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
red list, a scale that rates the level of endangerment of
species.
Salinas can be found on three islands within the
Turks & Caicos: Grand Turk, Salt Cay, and South Caicos.
On South Caicos, the salinas cover approximately 22%
of the island (455 acres), whereas they only cover 5% of
Grand Turk and 7% of Salt Cay. Historically in the TCI,
salinas were used for salt production from the mid 1700s
into the 1900s. Total salt exports reached around 140
million pounds annually, and across the three islands 800
acres of salinas were utilized for production.
A unique feature of the salt industry on South Caicos
is the Boiling Hole, a historically significant site and a
unique tourist attraction. Because it is comprised of a
subterranean cave system that is connected to the ocean,
it is periodically refreshed by the tide. As the tides bring
in water, they also bring brine shrimp which are one of
the flamingoes’ main prey.
Flamingoes tend to forage and breed in shallow bodies
of high saline environments consisting of a mix of
saline (sea water), brackish (a mix of sea water and fresh
water), and fresh water. Flamingoes prefer habitat types
with naturally high salinity as their prey (gastropods,
crustaceans, brine shrimp, and small insects) are more
abundant under high salinity conditions. In addition, the
salt-encrusted, damp mud allows for an ideal location to
build a nest as it provides the perfect conditions for egg
incubation.
Because flamingoes desire these very specific environments,
they are particularly vulnerable to human
disturbance in the Caribbean due to habitat destruction
and pollution. For instance, through the ups and downs
of the salt industry, populations of organisms residing in
the salinas fluctuated due to the uncontrolled changes
in the levels of salinity. Research has shown that these
salinity fluctuations affect flamingo behavior by changing
the population density of their food supply, which can
cause them to migrate away from or return to the TCI less
frequently.
As the salt industry grew to meet global demand
(becoming a world-wide commodity), the influx of people
and machines harvesting the salt created habitat changes
in the salinas that the flamingoes occupy, thus causing
them to frequent the Islands less often. Despite the massive
amounts of salt being produced and exported, the
TCI’s salt production entered a decline in the late 1960s.
CAITLIN E. O’BRIEN
This flamboyance of flamingoes is gathering near the Boiling Hole on South Caicos. As the tides bring in water, they also bring brine shrimp
which are one of the flamingoes’ main prey.
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