Extremely rare case of melanistic greater flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus documented for the first time in Europe in Lake Kerkini National Park, Northern Greece

Abstract

The last decade a couple of observations of melanistic greater flamingos have been reported across Southern Mediterranean region. In October 2014 a melanistic greater flamingo was observed and photographed for the first time in Europe in Lake Kerkini National Park in Northern Greece. All the decade’s observations could concern the same individual if we considered that melanism is an extremely rare genetic mutation and flamingos are moving across different lakes around the Mediterranean region.