An extremely rare black flamingo has been spotted on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, exciting nature lovers who said it may be the only bird of its type ever seen.
The flamingo, seen on the banks of a salt lake on Wednesday morning, is thought to have a genetic condition known as melanism, which causes it to generate more of the pigment melanin, turning it dark, rather than the usual pink color.
The flamingo, entirely black, save for a tuft of white feathers on its rear, was feeding with others on the banks of the lake on Wednesday afternoon.
The sighting in Cyprus happened during a flamingo count at a sprawling salt lake at the Akrotiri environmental center on the southern coast of Cyprus.
"A melanistic individual is a very, very rare sighting ... basically it’s the opposite of an albino when the individual produces more melanin than normal," Charilaou told Reuters Television.
Up to 20,000 greater flamingos descend on Aktoriri salt lake each year.
PHOTO: A black flamingo is seen in a salt lake at the Akrotiri Environmental Centre on the southern coast of Cyprus April 8, 2015.
CREDIT: REUTERS/MARINOS MELETIOU.
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