Comments on the population status of Chilean flamingos at Lagoa do Peixe National Park, Southern Brazil

In South America, the Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis) is distributed from south of the Equator to southern Argentina, passing by the Brazilian coast. One of the locations where this species is present in southern Brazil is the Lagoa do Peixe National Park, between the cities of Mostardas and Tavares, in RioGrande do Sul state. This area is a natural reserve implemented to conserve both coastal biodiversity and the many species of migratory birds that use the area in contranuptial periods. Although the flamingo is well known in the region, there is a lack, in scientific literature, of information about the population of flamingos living inside the park. In this paper, we comment on the current population and conservation status of Chilean flamingos in the Lagoa do Peixe National Park, bringing attention to the necessities to protect the park from political pressures and to increase research activity on these birds in this area.