Flamingos gather at Tunis wetland - in pictures

More than 100,000 birds of around 100 different species spend winter in the murky waters of the Sijoumi lagoon

Flamingos fly over the Sijoumi mudflat, known as Sabkhet Sijoumi, on the southern outskirts of Tunisia's capital Tunis. AFP

A flamingo flies over the Sijoumi mudflat on the southern outskirts of Tunisia's capital Tunis. AFP

More than 100,000 birds of around 100 different species spend winter in the murky waters of the Sijoumi lagoon, a critical wetland in the heart of Tunisia's capital. AFP

Flamingos feed in the Sijoumi mudflat on the southern outskirts of Tunisia's capital Tunis. The lagoon, one of North Africa's most important wetlands that became a dumping ground during decades of urbanisation. AFP

The Sijoumi lagoon is a breeding ground for the flocks of migratory birds that gather there at the end of winter. AFP

The lagoon plays an important role in absorbing the overflow of water during heavy rains. AFP

Once set apart from the city, today half of Tunis' residents live on the banks of the mudflat. AFP

More galleries from The National:

From a full moon over Iraq to the 'Ever Given' ship refloated - the best Mena pictures

Misty vistas of Sinai - in pictures

Al Dhafra Marine Festival - in pictures