Camargue Flamingos: 13 Pictures That Will Inspire You to Plan a Trip to France

Read about where to see the Camargue Flamingos. Explore the Camargue Ornithological Park in France. The Camargue wetlands is home to thousands of pink flamingos and other bird species.

Have you ever considered visiting Camargue France? You should simply because there is just something awesome about pink flamingos.

They're tall, they often balance on one leg, and they are hot pink. What's not to love?

Ever since we moved to Dublin, we've entertained the idea of flying to southwest France to see Montpellier's pink flamingos in the wild.

1. Camargue flamingo walking in the water

We finally visited the Camargue wetlands just outside of Montpellier on a broader visit to the Languedoc region of France in the Spring.

 

2. Camargue flamingo with wings spread.

If you are staying in Nîmes, Camargue Ornithological Park is just an hour away. In this post, I'll share some photos of the best Camargue wildlife.

The area is home to thousands of Camargue flamingos and other bird species including egrets, herons, and night herons.

3. Camargue flamingo getting ready to take flight.

We arrived at the Camargue Ornithological Park and got our bearings using a small map given to us at the entrance. We came around to a small lake with an island in the center.

Every available branch of the large tree in the center was taken up by a large nest. There were tens of egrets and herons incubating their eggs and nurturing their newly hatched chicks.

We even caught a glimpse of an egret feeding her young. So amazing!

4. Egret with baby and heron in the Camargue.

We also noticed that many of the egrets inhabiting the Camargue wetlands had a bright yellow patch on their heads. I soon learned that this was the breeding plumage of cattle egrets. Judging from the number of nests in the trees, they guys were definitely busy!

5. Portrait of a cattle egret in the Camargue.

We even spotted a night heron lurking in the brush.

6. Night heron hiding in the Camargue.

On to the Camargue flamingos! Parc Ornithologique de Pont de Gau features a loop trail around the reserve and over the course of a few hours, we saw many flocks of greater pink flamingos.

In many cases, we were less than 10 feet away from where the flamingos were wading.

7. Me taking a picture of a flock of Camargue flamingos.

8. Camargue flamingos with curvy necks. 

9. Camargue flamingos resting in the water. 

10. Portrait of a Camargue flamingo. 

Bring a camera with a zoom lens because the Camargue flamingos are definitely photogenic. I am flamingo, here me roar!

11. Flamingo showing dominance.

🔎 SIDEWALK SAFARI SPOTLIGHT 

Looking for other ideas for places to visit in France? Have you thought about:

• Celebrating Valentine's Day in Paris or going on a romantic day trip from Paris to Reims to sip champagne at the source?
• Spending Christmas in Strasbourg and the Alsace or Christmas in Provence?
• Catching a French festival like Nice Carnaval or the Fete du Citron in Menton?
• Discovering French Basque country and fun things to do in St. Jean de Luz?
• Driving the Loire Valley and see some of the best chateaux in the world?
• Booking 3 days in Bordeaux and deciding for yourself which wine region is better: Medoc or St. Emilion?
• Visiting Lyon for a week and eating some of the best food in France?
• Enjoying a weekend in Carcassonne?
• Exploring World War II history on a Paris to Normandy road trip?
• Heading to the alps for the Annecy summer fireworks show?

While most of the flamingos in the Camargue wetlands are pink due to their shellfish diet, the juveniles are easy to spot because they are mostly white.

12. Juvenile Camargue flamingos. 

The flamingos mostly splashed about on the ground but occasionally they would take flight. These birds are simply amazing to see with wings spread soaring overhead.

13. Camargue flamingos in flight.

Here is a video that I created capturing the wild Camargue flamingos in action. I could have watched them for hours! Click on the thumbnail image below to open up the video on YouTube.

When is the Best Time of Year to See Flamingos in the Camargue?

According to First Nature, you can expect to find 50,000+ flamingos in the Camargue in the Spring and Summer. Perhaps 10% of the birds overwinter here. According to Salva Fauna, the flamingos may be fewer, but they are at their most active and most pink over the winter.

What else is near Parc Ornithologique de Pont de Gau?

Saintes Maries de la Mer is the nearest town to Parc Ornithologique de Pont de Gau. Combine a visit to see the Camargue flamingos with lunch and a seaside walk. You might even spot some Camargue horses (brilliant white horses that are native to the region).

🔎 Do you enjoy travel focused on birdwatching? If so, check out my posts about the birds of Patagonia, the birds of Costa Rica, and the birds of Uganda.

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