Lagunas altoandinas y puneñas de Catamarca, High Andean wetlands in Catamarca Province, Argentina.
The Lagunas altoandinas y puneñas de Catamarca is a vast wetland system spread across the high Andes with more than 1 million hectares of water and land. The waters range from shallow saline lakes to deeper brackish lagoons positioned at elevations between 3,010 and 6,885 meters.
The site received Ramsar designation in 2009, making it part of a global network dedicated to protecting critical wetland areas around the world. This international recognition helped establish lasting protections for this South American ecosystem.
Local communities have adapted to life around these waters, using them in traditional ways while flamingos and rare animals thrive here. The lagoons serve as both a livelihood and home for people who have lived in this region for generations.
The site is divided into two sections that can be visited via established pathways and accessed at different times. Conditions are most favorable during summer months from December to February, when trails are drier and wildlife is more active.
The site shelters two specialized flamingo species adapted to harsh high-altitude conditions and feeding on tiny algae and organisms in the saline waters. These rare birds are found nowhere else in the world quite like this and depend on these lakes as a critical food source.
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