Spain's annual flamingo ringing begins at Fuente de Piedra lake

Hundreds of volunteers came together at Fuente de Piedra lake in southern Spain on Saturday to take part in the yearly flamingo-ringing event. The lake has held nature reserve status since 1984, and in that time more than 200,000 flamingo chicks have hatched within its waters.

Tracking the birds

Each year, teams from environmental authorities work alongside volunteers to fit young flamingos with identification rings. This tagging effort allows experts to follow the birds as they move between various nature reserves across Europe and North Africa.

This year's edition of the initiative saw 600 chicks ringed. The annual event has become a valuable tool for researchers and conservationists seeking to better understand flamingo population trends and migratory behaviour in the region.