A hike around the salt flats of Salar de Quisquiro in Atacama was not long but still exhausting since it is at an altitude of around 4500m. It was well worth it though as among the salt flats surrounded by pink and ochre hills, we spotted a flock of James' (Puna) flamingos, one of the few birds that can be found at that altitude. Their deep yellow with lower one-third black bills and red legs and feet differentiate them from the more common Andean and Chilean flamingos. Discovered in 1886, these birds were thought to be extinct until a remote population was found in 1956. Their current status is “near threatened” as per IUCN.