Fabulously flamboyant flamingos of Northern Argentina

Flamingos are fabulously flamboyant. Try to say that three times fast. Much beloved by photographers, flamingos have evolved over the years into a brand of sorts, symbolizing a whimsical and vibrant lifestyle associated with the good life and a sun-drenched island paradise. The ubiquitous pink flamingo image appears globally in artwork, fashion, décor, on beaches, in pools, and even as lawn ornaments.

These birds are so utterly fabulous that a flock of flamingos is known by a single noun – flamboyance. Which I think is rather an appropriate word choice to describe the often expansively colorful gathering on salt flats, lagoons, lakes, and wetlands.

Flamingos are not born with the pink and reddish color they are known for. Their diet, which is rich in carotenoids found in various algae, diatoms, and small crustaceans such as brine shrimp, causes them to exhibit varying shades and intensities of pink. As their digestive system breaks down the pigments, they are absorbed into the bloodstream and deposited into the skin, feathers, beaks, and legs. The intensity of pink or red varies depending on diet, age, and species.

While you can certainly see and appreciate flamingos in a zoo anywhere in the world, there is nothing like seeing them in their natural setting. Google “best places to see flamingos,” and you’ll likely find destinations in South Florida, Kenya, Tanzania, Egypt, Yucatan, India, and Chile. Even if you tighten the search a bit and ask Google for the best places to see flamingos “in South America,” results will include the Atacama Desert in Chile, western Bolivia, and Peru. Those are all wonderful places, to be sure. But every one of them has something else in common besides a flamboyance of flamingos – people and lots of them.

So, I’m going to let you in on a little secret: If you want to see and photograph large flocks of flamingos without the people, think of the Puna in northwestern Argentina. More specifically, think of Laguna Grande near El Peñon. I first discovered this special place in October 2017 on a quick visit. Since then, I’ve had flamingos and Northern Argentina on my mind.

Laguna Grande

There are six species of flamingo worldwide: Two species, the greater and the lesser flamingo, are native to Africa, Asia, and Europe. The American flamingo, also known as the Caribbean flamingo, can be found in the Caribbean, parts of northern South America, the Galapagos Islands, along the Yucatan Peninsula, and in the United States. The Chilean flamingo, the Andean flamingo, and the James’s or Puna flamingo can be found throughout South America. And all three can be found at Laguna Grande in Argentina’s Puna de Atacama!

This is indeed a flamboyance of flamingos. The ones in-flight are James’s flamingos. And among the thousands of other flamingos filling the lagoon in the background, there is a mix of James’s, Andean, and Chilean flamingos.

Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis): Note the light pink plumage with darker pink wing feathers, a pale-yellow bill with a black tip, and greyish legs with pink or reddish joints and feet. The Chilean flamingo does not have the clean-cut black triangle on closed wing tips seen on the Andean flamingo. It is commonly found inhabiting shallow lakes, lagoons, and estuaries at various altitudes.

James’s Flamingo (Phoenicoparrus jamesi): Also known as the Puna flamingo. In March 2024, this became my favorite flamingo to photograph and watch. Note its lighter pink body, a brighter pink neck, a deeper pink back, a bright yellow bill with a black tip, and bright red legs. In other words, fabulous! The James’s inhabits high-altitude salt lakes and brackish lagoons. Laguna Grande in Argentina’s Puna de Atacama is home to some of South America’s largest flocks of James’s flamingos. More than 19,000 birds (25 percent of the known total population of James’s flamingos in the world) are known to reside here. 

Andean Flamingo (Phoenicoparrus andinus): Considered a rare species, note the pale pink with deeper pink accents on its feathers. It also has a clean-cut black triangle on closed wings, a yellow bill with a black tip, and yellow legs. It prefers high-altitude salt lakes and wetlands, like Laguna Grande in Argentina.

Nine James’s flamingos standing in the still water of Laguna Grande at sunrise. A near-perfect reflection.

James's flamingos running on the water of Laguna Grande as they flap their wings and splash on their way to taking off.

Laguna Carachi Pampa

I will admit to skepticism when our Socompa guide, Lautaro, suggested photographing flamingos at a nearby smaller lagoon — Laguna Carachi Pampa. He told me there would not be huge flocks of flamingos. But at sunrise, during the golden hour, he said that the combination of colorful flamingos standing in still water, which reflected the colors of the red and black rocks from the surrounding mountains, would create an otherworldly scene to photograph. He was not wrong. The flamingos are Andean, and number in the hundreds, not thousands. But during sunrise, the number of flamingos didn’t matter. Here, in the golden light of early morning, with splashes of red reflecting in the water, flamingos can appear to be bathed in fire. Which is an apt description, as the origin of their name appears to date back to the 1560s, from either a Portuguese or Spanish word meaning 'flame'. 

Additionally, in ancient Egypt, flamingos were believed to be an incarnation of the sun god Ra. It is from the Egyptians that the legend of the Phoenix, a mythical bird of fire that bursts into flame, originated. Photographing flamingos that morning in the rich, golden light, I could almost imagine a flamingo becoming a Phoenix … almost.

Flamingos and mountains reflected in the calm waters of Laguna Carachi Pampa at dawn.

An Andean flamingo feeding in the waters of Laguna Carachi Pampa. And yes, that is a band you see on its leg, done for scientific research. 

Flamingos wading in a pool of water at Laguna Carachi Pampa in the Catamarca Province of Argentina with snow-capped mountains in the background.

Getting to Laguna Grande and Laguna Carachi Pampa

Getting to Laguna Grande and Carachi Pampa is not easy. First, you must get to El Peñon, which will be your base camp for at least two or three nights. You can certainly drive yourself if you have a 4×4, but please note that it's a rough trip with few services available between Salta and El Peñon. It is much safer and easier to hire a guide and driver. While there are undoubtedly other guides and organizations, we have had personal experience with and can enthusiastically recommend the experts at Socompa Adventure Travel. They also have priority use of the best pension in El Peñon, Hosteria El Peñon. I would recommend planning for a minimum of four nights at El Peñon, chiefly because there is so much more to see and photograph here than just flamingos – including Dunas Blancas, Campo de Piedra Pómez, and Cerro Galán Caldera, to name a few. And, if you like night photography, like Therese, the night skies are off-the-charts amazing.