Atacama Flamingos Frozen In Ice

The driest place on earth and at over 14,000 ft elevation might be one of the last places you'd expect to see flocks of flamingos. Despite the extreme aridity of Chile's Atacama Desert, its high altitudes and cold temperatures do result in low temperatures, allowing water to collect into shallow pools. They feed upon the microscopic algae and brine shrimp within these ponds, which contain the carotenoids that gives these birds their pink coloring. As I approached this flock right at sunrise, I noticed that the water was frozen from the sub-zero night prior, where their legs were still trapped, frozen in the ice. The rising sun eventually thawed the water, allowing them to break free and walk upon the ice, in what must be a regular occurance here.