The British Bases have said that a rare black flamingo has returned to the salt lakes Akrotiri for the third time in four years.

The flamingo first arrived in 2015 and caused a media storm all over the world. It is believed that the flamingo suffers from melanism which is a genetic irregularity that turns it a dark brown or black.

The Sovereign Base Area Administration environmental office said he was thrilled to see the flamingo return again this year. The officer did say that people should not try to go near the bird or walk into the lake as it could disrupt its habitat.

Every year the flamingos flock to the salt lake to feed off of brine shrimps, with many of them staying all-year round if the conditions remain perfect.

The bases are exceptionally attractive for birds with more than three hundred species recorded and the cliff faces in Episkopi are home to the only nesting pairs of Griffin vultures found on the island.