PHOTOS: The Flamingos are back in Qatar

Every winter, Flamingo birds arrive in Qatar coming in from several African countries and stay here until they leave in April as the weather gets warmer. Below are some pictures of these beautiful birds.

These amazing pictures were actually taken in Qatar - which may surprise some who never expected to see such majestic wildlife in the harsh desert environment.

The Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) come to Qatar every November, mainly from African countries.

These birds filter-feed on shellfish and algae - their oddly-shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they consume, and are uniquely used upside-down. 

These birds usually leave Qatar by April when it starts getting too hot for them. From there, the birds go as far as North America. 

The other amazing thing is that these pictures were not taken on the coast, but much further inland - at the Al Karaana Sewerage Ponds. 

Click here to see where that is on the map: Al Karaana Sewerage Ponds

These photos were taken by Jameel Riaz and shared on the QL Flickr group.

Have you spotted any in Qatar? Here are some pictures from Jameel Riaz taken last year when the flamingos visited Qatar.