Flamingos in the Prespa–Ohrid Region: An alarm bell for climate change

The project “Local and Cross-Border Actors Work Together in the Environmental Protection of the Prespa–Ohrid Region”, led by Unë, Gruaja, has strengthened the ability of local communities to monitor and protect biodiversity. Its goal is to build conservation capacity across the Local Ohrid Region by sharing knowledge, comparing best practices, and taking joint action on issues that shape the health of the ecosystem.

Through Local Action Groups and hands-on workshops, residents learned to identify biodiversity values, track environmental pressures, and respond to emerging ecological risks. These activities helped communities understand how local challenges are linked to broader regional trends—from shifting water levels to changes in species behavior. They also encouraged people to take action together rather than face these pressures alone.

This awareness became especially relevant at the end of October, when nearly eighty pink flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) appeared along the shores of Lake Ohrid in the Drilon and Tushemisht areas. Their arrival captivated residents and visitors, offering a rare and stunning moment of beauty. Although flamingos are common in Albania’s coastal lagoons—Narta, Karavasta, Divjaka—they have never been regular visitors to freshwater ecosystems like Lake Ohrid. For Pogradec, their presence is an extraordinary spectacle, but also an ecological signal that something deeper is shifting.

A rare and unusual phenomenon

Flamingos typically migrate across the Mediterranean basin, stopping in saline wetlands rich in algae and crustaceans. Mountain lakes such as Ohrid are not part of their natural habitat. According to Gani Bego, a specialist in protected areas and member of the Lake Pogradec Local Action Group, flamingos usually pass through Albania only briefly before moving toward coastal lagoons. This makes their extended stay in Pogradec highly unusual.

At first glance, the arrival of such elegant birds feels like good news. Yet experts urge caution. Their visit is not a sign of a healthy, balanced ecosystem. It is a signal of disruption. According to the above-mentioned specialist, flamingos usually migrate from southern Europe, Turkey, and parts of Africa. They then travel through the Mediterranean, including the Adriatic coastline. Their movements include Albania, Montenegro, and Croatia. They typically stay only two or three weeks before shifting toward coastal lagoons, which are their natural habitats. These birds prefer saline lakes and coastal wetlands, not mountain lakes like Ohrid.

So why did they come here?

Shifting temperatures, rising water stress on wetlands, and unpredictable climate patterns are altering migratory routes across the region. Warmer seasons, shrinking feeding grounds, and changing water salinity levels along traditional Mediterranean stopovers are forcing flamingos to explore new resting points. When their usual habitats become unreliable, they improvise. Lake Ohrid becomes a temporary refuge, not by choice, but by necessity.

Recent monitoring by the Hydrobiological Institute of Ohrid (2025) recorded the following environmental parameters:

• Water temperature: 21.9°C
• pH: 7.37
• Conductivity: 298.3 µS/cm
• Dissolved oxygen: 4.9 %Sat

These indicators confirm Lake Ohrid’s freshwater character with very low mineral content. However, climate change—warmer seasons, lowered summer water levels, and increased evaporation—has created temporary shallow microhabitats near the shoreline. These zones now offer resting and limited feeding opportunities for migrating flamingos, conditions that did not exist in previous decades.

A beautiful sight, but also an alarm bell

Flamingos are recognized as bioindicators of climate variability. They respond quickly to:

• Rising temperatures
• Dropping water levels
• changes in salinity and oxygen levels
• Degradation of traditional feeding wetlands.

Their unexpected presence in Lake Ohrid is therefore not simply an enchanting surprise—it is a warning. It signals shifting migratory routes caused by shrinking wetlands in southern Europe, Turkey, and parts of Africa, where climate change and human pressures are reducing habitat reliability. When their usual stopover sites become unsuitable, flamingos are forced to improvise, seeking refuge in places like Ohrid.

What appears beautiful to the eye often reflects ecological imbalance beneath the surface. Newly formed shallow zones may enable flamingos to rest temporarily, but these same changes can threaten Ohrid’s endemic species, many of which depend on deeper, cooler, and more stable habitats.

A call for cooperation and care

In collaboration with the Prespa–Ohrid Nature Trust (PONT), the association Unë, Gruaja has integrated nature observation and citizen science into its environmental education work across the Prespa–Ohrid region. These initiatives help communities and experts jointly identify climate impacts, share local knowledge, and promote conservation solutions that protect both biodiversity and livelihoods.

The brief visit of the flamingos—lasting only a few days—left behind an important message:
Climate change is not a distant threat; it is already reshaping the ecosystem of Lake Ohrid. This is why we cannot simply celebrate their arrival. The beauty of these birds hides the warning behind their movement. Their presence is a reminder that climate change is already reshaping wildlife and our behavior. It disrupts wetlands, confuses migratory patterns, and pushes species into places they have never visited before. What seems extraordinary to the eye is often a sign that something is going wrong beneath the surface.

Their pink silhouettes on the water remind us that even ancient natural balances can shift under environmental pressure. Preserving this unique lake requires awareness, collaboration, and timely action across communities and borders.

By: Une Gruaja – Me the women Albania