Sudden flamingo deaths in Kenyan rift valley lakes.

Straubinger-Gansberger, Nadja; Gruber, Martin; Kaggwa, Mary N.; Lawton, Linda; Oduor, Steve Omondi; Schagerl, Michael

Abstract

The East African Rift Valley Lakes Bogoria and Nakuru sometimes host around 75% of the world population of lesser flamingos Phoeniconaias minor. In this area, mysterious flamingo die-offs have occupied researchers for four decades. Recently, cyanobacterial toxins came into the fore as a possible explanation for mass mortalities because the main food source of lesser flamingos is the cyanobacterium Arthrospira fusiformis. We took weekly samples from July 2008 to November 2009 from Lakes Nakuru and Bogoria and analyzed them by high performance liquid chromatography for microcystins. Monthly, samples were cross-checked using protein phosphatase inhibition assays with lower detection limits and additionally screened for polar toxins. During our study period, three flamingo die-offs occurred at L. Bogoria and we were able to analyze tissues of 20 carcasses collected at the shoreline. No cyanotoxins were detected either in plankton samples or in flamingo tissues. Accordingly, other reasons such as food composition or bird diseases played a key role in the observed flamingo die-offs.

Citation

STRAUBINGER-GANSBERGER, N., GRUBER, M., KAGGWA, M.N., LAWTON, L., ODUOR, S.O. and SCHAGERI, M. 2014. Sudden flamingo deaths in Kenyan rift valley lakes. Wildlife biology [online], 20(3), pages 185-189. Available from: https://doi.org/10.2981/wlb.00018

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 31, 2014
• Online Publication Date: Jun 1, 2014
• Publication Date: Jun 30, 2014
• Deposit Date: Feb 19, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 12, 2022
• Journal: Wildlife biology
• Print ISSN: 0909-6396
• Electronic ISSN: 1903-220X
• Publisher: Nordic Council for Wildlife Research
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 20
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 185-189
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.2981/wlb.00018
• Keywords: East Afrian rift valley lakes; Flamingos; Cyanobacterial toxins; Microcystins
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/1148060