Chilean flamingo with Preservation and BriteVu

Sep 14, 2020 Off Comments in Birds
Chilean flamingo with Preservation and BriteVu

Chilean flamingos (Phoenicopterus chilensis) are uniquely adapted to salt lagoons and soda lakes of South America.  They are listed as near threatened by IUCN due to water pollution and habitat loss.  They use their comb like structures to filter feed mainly plankton and algae.  This individual was tragically involved in an automobile accident however her head was spared from the trauma and used for a preservation and contrast study. BriteVu in a Bottle was used for contrast and the head was scanned at 200 µm on the Epica Vimago CT scanner.  The bird will further be entered into a study to better understand the feeding mechanisms of multiple bird species. 

For a 3D head rotation, click here.

Chilean flamingo specially preserved and then perfused with BriteVu in a Bottle.
Chilean flamingo specially preserved and then perfused with BriteVu in a Bottle.