Flamingos only nidificate in rather big colonies: it was found out that the males begin the courting only in presence of numerous specimens of their own species.

The choice of nidificating or not in a certain area is not always easy explainable, but it is often due to climatic and environmental factors, such as the level of water, the presence of suitable islands, peaceful surroundings, etc.

In the Mediterranean basin, the only place which has been regularly used for breeding is the Camargue, the big wetland of the Rhone delta, in Southern France.