Migratory birds and protected species and different kinds, because of it legs, foot and beak. The group live in low saline water level lagoons, in proper conditions where grows microseaweed and microcrustacean, it food components. The beak has inside lamels use for to filter the food. The nest at solitaire lagoons and looking for low water level, where they build up a clay nest similar to a cone without the tip and as a cup shape, where they put a white egg. Exist three species that lives in this zone of Atacama: Chilean, Andean and James.

CHILEAN FLAMINGO

Phoenicopterus chilensis
Largo: 100 cms.
Plumaje blanco con rosado suave. Pico grande, ancho, encorvado hacia abajo, ambas mandibulas internamente con lamelas filtradoras; mitad basal blanquesina y resto negro. Alas rosadas. Primarias y secundarias con puntas negras, más notorias durante el vuelo. Tarsos color hueso azulado con rodilla y patas rojas. Pequeño pulgar trasero.

ANDEAN, BIE

Phoenicoparrus andinus
Largo: 110 - 120 cms.
Todo el plumaje de color blanco con tinte rosado muy suave; rosado más intenso en la parte delantera del cuello y superior del pecho. Cubiertas alares con manchas rojas. Primarias y secundarias negras, también notorias con el ala recogida. Pico amarillo en la mitad basal y resto negro. Patas amarillo suave.

JAME / PUNA / SMALL

High: 90 cms.
In generally with white and pink colour. Long neck. Big beak, wide downside hunched and with internal water filter chin, black at the tip and yellow colour the rest. Orange yellow colour base, around the eyes zone strong red colour, secondary pink red scapular. Long red brick colour legs, without rear toe.

PUNA PLATEAU
DUCK (PATO PUNA)

Lives in lagoons, rivers and bofedals of the chilean altiplano, standing out the constract between the white and black colour of their heads. They nest in the grass or in floating nest of Taguas. Feed from vegetables and small insects, crustacean and mollusc.

GUAYATAS ó piuquenes

Chloëphaga melanoptera Lives at bofedals of the altiplano (4000 mts). Once a year it plumage change at the wings making impossible to fly by that moment, so it looks for shelter at far away places, because of the predators. The special characteristic: inseparable from it couple.

CAITI

Lives on almost all the lagoons and specially at the altiplanic salt flat. Solitaire or in couple or in small flock. It is 40 cms, long black upside curved beak. Feed from small organism.

GIANT TAGUA
(TAGUA GIGANTE)

Fulica gigantea
Unique specie of the world, special because of it enormous size, 55 cms. Lives at lagoons, lakes and bofedals of the altiplano (4000 mts.). Lives normally with a couple and the nest is a big floating platform. It not fly, but runs very quickly over the water. It is an herbivore that feed from the plants that grows under the water near the shores.

ANDEAN SEAGULL (GAVIOTA ANDINA)

Small seagull, caulle, quiulla.
Lives at lakes and lagoons of the high mountain range (4000 mts). On winter time some species go down till the coast zone. It lengh is 40, 45 cms. It have different plumage on summer or winter time. On summer time it have black head with white semi circle on the eye and in winter time it have white head with dark spots in the eye.

COMETOCINO

Very characteristic bird of the atacamenian altiplano. Specie that lives alone, with couple or in small flocks at the ravines, bofedals or at altiplanic villages. It 10 cms., and with sexual dimorphism. The male has more intense colours.