The flamingo began its second spring migration from Umm Al Quwain’s Khor Al Beidah on March 9, 2007.  Since being tagged, Sindibad has travelled more than 5,000km, (point to point distances) and spent 95 days wintering in the UAE.

Sindibad’s case showcases the Environment Agency — Abu Dhabi (EAD’s) successful tracking, via satellite, of Greater Flamingos (Phoenicopterus Roseus), which it has been doing since 2005.

EAD tracks birds to highlight the importance of conserving wetlands such as Ras Al Khor in Dubai and Al Wathba Wetland Reserve in Abu Dhabi, and indeed, the rest of the coastline. These wetlands are very important to the flamingos and to many other birds as they use them to rest and feed.

EAD hopes that additional data, collected in the coming days, will prove extremely useful to learn more about flamingo movement in and outside the UAE. The data is also likely to provide information on bird movement and migration in the context of bird flu.

According to the EAD’s records, the birds tracked in 2007 showed similar movement patterns compared to those tracked in 2005. The birds also shared another common characteristic — they used the coastal and inland wetlands to rest and feed.