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Sudden flamingo deaths in Kenyan rift valley lakes.

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

Authors

Nadja Straubinger-Gansberger

Martin Gruber

Mary N. Kaggwa

Steve Omondi Oduor

Michael Schagerl



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 Mar 29, 2024
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

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