ANKARA, TURKIYE - JUNE 24: Reflections of flamingos are seen on Lake Tuz, which hosts thousands of flamingos every year, in Ankara, Turkiye, on June 24, 2025. This year, the lake has seen a decline in flamingo numbers due to drought, prompting the birds to shift their migration route to other wetlands across Turkiye. (Photo by Harun Ozalp/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Harun Ozalp/Anadolu via Getty Images

Reflected on the surface of Lake Tuz in Turkey, these flamingos are following a well-trodden path. Every spring, tens of thousands fly to this salt lake to breed. However, as the lake dries up due to drought and farming irrigation, fewer flamingos than usual arrived this year and around 2000 chicks have died. To adapt, the birds are changing their migration routes to travel to other wetlands in the country.

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