Lake Uyuni a permanent alkaline lake in Bolivia.

Alkaline Lakes

Alkaline lakes are found in the high Andes, Patagonia, and patchily distributed in other regions. Some alkaline lakes contain water permanently while others are ephemeral and contain water for only a few months after each rainy season. Other alkaline lakes only appear in years of unusually high rainfall and hold water for a few months after the high rainfall event. Some species of birds are highly dependent on the invertebrate life in alkaline lakes and depend on them to complete life cycles.

Alkaline lake in Bolivia. Photo: Arturo Bullard.

See more Neotropical bird habitats.

Reference:

Neotropical Birds: Ecology and Conservation. Stotz Douglas F., Fitzpatrick John W., Parker Theodore A. III, and Moskovits Debra K. University of Chicago Press, 1996.