Flamingos flock to crowd-free Albania lagoon

Social distancing and home confinement rules in the wake of the coronavirus-induced crisis might have clipped the wings of a few people across the world, but flamingos have spanned theirs and started flourishing in a coastal lagoon by the Adriatic Sea in Albania.

The flamingo population at the Albanian lagoon has grown as coronavirus rules keep crowds away. Operations halting at a nearby saltworks and reduced human activity of all types during the pandemic explains why birds are flocking to the lagoon, a regional biodiversity expert said.

The flamingo population is up to about 3,000 at Narta Lagoon. The 28-sq km (10-sq m) lagoon is 145 kilometres (90 miles) south of Tirana, the capital.

Bird watchers also have noticed more pelicans, herons and other species this spring.

Researchers are now planning to study the flamingos to see if the coronavirus-induced calm is conducive to establishing the lagoon as a place where they can nest and breed.