Andean Gull (Chroicocephalus serranus)

The only Andean gull I saw nesting, and this one has done what many have done before – steal the nest from a Flamingo.

Apparently the flamingos will abort their incubation or nest building with very little disturbance. I doubt the gull managed to build this structure, or mend one from last year, but then again it a Flamingo built it it seemed a bit out of sync with the rest of the flamingos, so perhaps it was a juvenile. In any case an incessant gull can make even the most bird friendly of humans yield!

Another possibility is that the Flamingo aborted simply due to the dropping water level. There is still water between the nest and the shore, but the mud around was water, and that might changed its mind.

Altitude: 4119 metres.

It sounds like this:


-21.573611,-68.039444

Last updated on 8 December 2020