The southern French region of the Camargue has witnessed a surge in pink flamingos, with as many as 12,000 baby chicks born.
The Aigues-Mortes salt marsh, located within the Camargue, is Europe's first pink flamingo reserve and is often used as a nesting place for the migratory birds.
Conservationists estimate that around 50,000 adults have settled in the area on top of the 12,000 newborns, which is up from the usual figure of around 1,000 births per year.
Florence Saki from Salt Marsh of Aigue-Morte said: "It's incredible this year, we had between 10,000 and 12,000 flamingo chicks born on the salt marsh of Aigue-Morte.
"Perhaps the only good news of the crisis of COVID-19 was to have so many flamingos and chicks this year," she added.
Around 50,000 adults and 12,000 newborns have settled in the Aigues-Mortes salt march this year alone. /AP
Saki believes the rise in flamingo numbers could be linked to the country's recent lockdown period.
"The flamingos arrived here at the same time of the lockdown started and the world stopped. Even if we are not far from Montpellier Airport, there were no more flights, so I think this period has allowed more flamingos to come," she said.
Before the birds leave for their annual migration, experts caught and tagged 300 of them so scientists across the world are able track their progress.
Video editing: Riaz Jugon