Lake Natron in Tanzania is a salty lake where the extremely salty water may reach temperatures of 60 C (140 F) and an alkalinity almost as high as that of ammonia taken by the eye of Photographer Nick Brandt.
The process by which these unlucky birds have died is unclear, but the author says that a factor in it is the lake’s extreme reflectivity, which may cause birds to crash into the water, die, and become calcified husks. Brandt found the birds while working to capture the grandeur of Africa’s disappearing wildlife, which has been a major part of his life’s work. The birds were left as-is, except that the author posed them to make for better photographs.
Source: Nick Brandt (via newscientist) and visit Nick Brandt at Artsy