"Professor Abner explained in detail, we also saw a lot here, this attraction is very famous in France, I didn't have the opportunity to see it before, but now I think it's very interesting!"

After everyone visited Mont Saint-Michel, head Xia Yuxiang took everyone to the Camargue Wetland Park.

Located in the Rhône Delta on the Mediterranean coast of southeastern France, the Camargue Wetland Park is an important nature reserve and the largest river delta in Western Europe, the wetlands are known for their bustling birdlife and are an important habitat for migratory birds of major national and regional migration in Europe, with many birds, including pink flamingos, and equally famous small white horses, which roam the vast marshlands.

"Have you ever seen a flamingo?" asked Professor Abner.

Qu Lihua shook her head, "I've heard of it, but I've never seen it with my own eyes, I used to have writers write about flamingos in French literature, and I think flamingos are a very magical bird for France, but this is my first time in France, and I've never seen this kind of bird before." ”

"You must be curious, haven't you seen it?" Professor Abner smiled.

"I'll take you to see it, you'll be stunned!"

Everyone walked forward, and the scene in front of them was just like the scene you saw in "Animal World", a large number of flamingos, flapping their wings and falling one after another, and as soon as there were many birds, it looked lively and spectacular, and everyone was shocked by the scene.

"There are the largest number of flamingos in the world, and every year when the time comes, flamingos fly back to the Camargue Nature Reserve from Tunisia, Senegal and Spain to court, form families and breed," said Professor Abner. ”

Qu Lihua said: "Flamingos are a bit like cranes!"

Captain Xia Yuxiang nodded, "It's a bit similar, but it's not all like it, you see that these flamingos are like storks in size, their beaks are short and thick, the middle of their upper beaks is curved downward, their lower beaks are larger and groove-shaped, their necks are long and curved, their feet are extremely long and naked, there are webbing between the three toes in front of them, the hind toes are short and do not touch the ground, the wings are of moderate size, the tail is short, the body feathers are white and rose-colored, the flight feathers are black, the overfeathers are crimson, and the colors are contrasting, very showy." ”

Professor Abner added: "Yes, the feathers of the flamingo are mainly vermilion, especially the feathers at the base of the wings, which are shiny and shiny, and from a distance, they look like a raging fire, hence the name flamingo." ”

"Oh, I see, I also look really red, so many flamingos falling together, it looks really spectacular!"

Meng Wenjie said: "I think this kind of bird is also very strange, you can see that their body shape is also very strange, the body is slender, the head is small, the sickle-shaped beak is slender and curved downward, the front end is black, the middle is light red, and the base is yellow. ”

Qu Lihua said: "It's a bit like a crane, a bit like a swan, and a bit like a goose, and it's not very similar to these three, it's very interesting, and it looks like it has its own characteristics." ”

Captain Xia Yuxiang nodded, "Yes, you are all right, the flamingo's yellow eyes are small, compared to its huge body, it looks very incongruous, the slender neck is curved in an S shape, the wings are spread out by more than 150 centimeters, but the tail feathers are very short, and there are a pair of thin and long red legs. ”

Qu Lihua exclaimed, "Flamingos are quite big with their wings open, no wonder they fly very fast, they can fly very high, their wings are strong, they are easy to survive, and they can quickly adapt to the surrounding environment." ”

Professor Abner said: "Yes, birds are also survival of the fittest, all have to go through a long time of testing, in the natural survival of the fittest, the law of survival of the fittest, gradually eliminate those birds that can not adapt to the environment, and those who remain are birds with stronger survival ability." ”

Meng Wenjie nodded, "Yes, Professor Abner is right, these birds are quite interesting, I don't know what kind of habits they have, how do they usually live and reproduce?"

Head Xia Yuxiang said: "I know a little bit about flamingos, I'll introduce this part to you!"

"These birds inhabit the shores of warm tropical salt lakes, wade through the shallows, feed on small shrimp, clams, insects, algae, etc., dip their heads downwards and turn their mouths upside down when they feed, you see, they are very nimble, they shake their heads, they open their mouths, they suck their food into their mouths, they expel the excess water and the dregs that cannot be eaten, and then they swallow it slowly. ”

"Flamingos are different from Chinese cranes and ducks, and unlike lonely swans, they are timid by nature, they like to live in groups, and often flock more than 10,000 of them. ”

Meng Wenjie asked: "Then what kind of offspring do they reproduce and lay eggs?"

Xia Yuxiang, the head of the regiment, said: "The mud is built into a high pier as a nest, and the parent bird lies on the nest when the nest base incubates the eggs in the water, and the long neck is bent back to hide in the back feathers, and each nest lays 1-2 eggs. ”

Qu Lihua was a little surprised, "Each nest only lays 1-2 eggs, so few?"

"Yes, the number of eggs laid in each nest is not much, the egg shell is thick, the color is blue and green, the incubation period is about 1 month, the chicks are raised by the parent birds at the beginning, and gradually live on their own, because of the bright feathers, they are raised as ornamental birds. ”

Qu Lihua was very curious, "How long has the flamingo been around?"

"Fossils of flamingos have been discovered, and fossil evidence suggests that the ancestors of flamingos began to diverge as early as 30 million years ago in the Miocene, much earlier than most other birds," Professor Abner said. ”

"Thirty million years, wow, that's amazing!" Qu Lihua exclaimed, "So this bird is indeed very adaptable to the surrounding environment, can withstand the test, and survive." ”

Qu Lihua asked, "Have the bird scholars studied what kind of birds their ancestors were?"

Professor Abner nodded, "I have researched and found fossils that suggest that their ancestors were coastal birds that seemed to be sandpipers, and fossilized flamingo footprints were found in the Andes Mountains about seven million years ago. ”

"Is there such a bird all over the world?" Qu Lihua asked.

"Flamingos are found in tropical and subtropical regions, including North and South America, the Caribbean and Galapagos Islands, Africa, Madagascar, southern Europe, Southwest Asia, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent, and in the typical tropics, but can also be found in the Andes Mountains of South America," Professor Abner said. ”

"Prefer to live in groups, often in the thousands, and the small flamingo flock in Africa is the largest flock in the world today. ”

"Flamingos are not strictly migratory birds, they only migrate at times of food shortages and sudden changes in the environment, they generally take place at night, and during the day they fly at very high altitudes, all in order to avoid the attacks of birds of prey, and migrating flamingos can fly at speeds of 50-60 kilometers per hour for 600 kilometers per night. ”

"Wow, that's amazing, I can fly such a long distance, sometimes I think birds are really amazing!" Qu Lihua said.

The members of the delegation are very interested, think this bird is very interesting, and have not seen this kind of bird in the country, it is even more curious, everyone gathers together, far away dare not approach, flamingos and geese similar calls one after another, deafening, looking at it from afar, red legs such as a forest, a long neck also frequently alternates wriggling, very spectacular.

They have a gentle temperament, are usually timid and alert, and are excellent swimmers, and when flying, they can stretch their necks and legs in a straight line, and as long as one of them flies into the sky, a large group will follow closely, singing as they fly.

Qu Lihua and Meng Wenjie looked very happy, and everyone held up their mobile phones to take pictures.

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