Flamenco, Flamingo -- what's the difference?

OK. You have heard enough about Flamenco, but what have you heard about Flamingos? Well, listen up, it could change your life. We decided to visit Antequera -- to see the "pink flamingo" in their natural habitat.

Antequera is the Cross Roads of Andalucia. A visit to this historical Andalucían town is a journey almost 5,000 years back in time, beginning with the Bronze Age and the native Iberians. The timeline is there to be followed in this fascinating city's profusion of burial mounds, dolmens, Roman baths, a Moorish Castle, Gothic churches, Renaissance fountains and baroque bell towers.

The first sighting of Antequera in the distance is that of a typical medieval town, with the spires of her many churches and the walls and towers of the great Moorish fortress silhouetted against the sky. Spread out in the valley below lie rich farmlands irrigated by the Guadalhorce River. For centuries this has been one of Andalucía's most fertile areas, and is currently a leading producer of asparagus, cereals and olives. In summer, its fields turn brilliant yellow with sunflowers.

The town and valley are overlooked by an enormous crag of limestone, 880 metres high, called La Peña de los Enamorados, or "The Lovers' Leap". The name comes from a local legend about an impossible love affair between a young Christian man from Antequera and a beautiful Moorish girl from nearby Archidona, who were driven to the top of the cliff by the Moorish soldiers, where, rather than renounce their love, they chose to hurl themselves into the abyss.

The Pink Lagoon, the last bastion for the "pink flamingo". Surrounded by a vast, monotonous terrain, the Lagoon of Fuente de Piedra appears like a glorious oasis in the extensive Llanure de Antequera, considered to be one of the largest natural lagoons in Spain. Measuring more than six kilometres long and nearly three kilometres wide, the lagoon provides an ideal breeding spot for what surely must be one of the most elegant and exquisite birds in the world.

The pink flamingo plays the leading role in this story and can be found in this very same lagoon which is located in Malaga province; an ideal enclave to perpetuate the species.

This setting of the Fuente de Piedra is significant, in part because of its geographical location which is very close to the African continent and is thus a strategic point for migrating birds seeking rest before crossing the Mediterranean to spend the winter in Africa. Also, this locale is situated beside the French Camarga which is one of only two places in the entire Eastern Mediterranean where flamingos typically breed. It's not surprising, therefore, that this lagoon is deemed a protected zone in an international treaty, as the loss of this unique enclave would cause a serious set back for the flamingo population.

One of the characteristics of this lagoon is the salinity of the water. Normally this does not constitute an attraction for a non-marine bird, however in the case of the pink flamingo it is this very concentration of salt in the water which determines the presence of microscopic organisms, such as seaweed and crustacea which are the basis of their diet.

The optimum time to observe these magnificent birds is around the end of January, which is when they arrive from their winter quarters to spend the spring and summer months engaged in the all consuming activity of breeding. Naturally, this depends on the amount of rainfall earlier in the year however, as if the lagoon is dried out or is at a low level this would result in a risk for breeding and the flamingos would essentially disappear.