“You can explain the effects specifically from lithium extraction,” Cristina Dorador, co-author of the research, told Reuters in March.

There’s a little bit of a silver lining within the research: Flamingo populations didn’t decline in different areas of the desert, the analysis confirmed, and birds who often nest and feed in Salar de Atacama may simply journey to different areas. Still, the researchers emphasised the necessity to know extra about how lithium is impacting the flamingos to assist mitigate the consequences.