To start, flamingos will carry out a “head-flag” that involves loud calls and a waving of their heads. There are several dances that both males and females do to communicate their interest in a mate. Males and females will engage in elaborate displays to attract potential mates They will gradually develop color in the first couple of years. When they are born, flamingo chicks are gray or white. After approximately a month, the egg will hatch. Females and males will take turns incubating the egg. Females will only lay one egg at a timeĪfter mating, females will most often lay one egg.Įggs can range in size depending on the species. The following year, flamingos may find a different mate to pair up with.Ĩ. Together, mates will cooperatively make mud nests to incubate their eggs and raise their young. Once they find their mate, they will stay with them for the entire seasonįlamingos are thought to be monogamous, meaning they will stay with a singular mate for the entirety of a mating season. In the wild, flamingos can fly, and they use their wings to migrate to warmer areas for winter and to search new bodies of water for food. This might seem backwards, but their bills are more effective this way with tiny openings at the top, which help filter the water, while their tongue helps pump water in and out to trap food.įlamingos kept in zoo’s have often had their wings clipped. Their bills are specially adapted to separate mud and sand from the food they eat, so they eat with their head upside down in the water. Flamingos eat with their bill upside-down This comes from Spanish or Portuguese and is in reference to their pink-reddish feathers. Together, members hunt, protect young, and keep an eye out for nearby predators. A group of flamingoes is called a ‘flamboyance’įlamingos live in extremely large groups called colonies which can contain 50 to several thousands of birds. Some have suggested that having one leg close to the body helps to conserve body heat while others propose the behavior is aimed at preventing fatigue and conserving energy. Researchers are not fully certain as to why they do so. You may have seen flamingos standing on one leg in the water. It is not entirely clear as to why flamingos stand on one leg The more pigment a bird consumes, the more saturated in color their feathers will be.Ĭaribbean flamingos are believed to have the brightest bodies. The pink coloring of a flamingo comes from beta-carotene pigments found in foods such as shrimp. The color and brightness of their feathers depend on what they eat Some populations migrate throughout the year, making the study of certain groups more difficult. Global warming, habitat destruction, and food deficiencies are impacting populations around the globe. The lesser flamingo, Chilean flamingo and James’s flamingo are all near threatened. However, there has recently been a decline in their numbers and the Andean flamingo is classified as vulnerable by the ICUN. The tallest, the greater flamingo, can reach nearly 5 feet in height, while the lesser flamingo is only around 2.5 feet tall.Ĭurrently, there are no flamingo species that are classified as endangered. There are 6 flamingo species in total, with 4 in the Amercias, and 2 present in Africa, Asia and Europe. They build nests out of mud near coastlines and water, with enough room to incubate one large egg. Least concern to vulnerable depending on speciesįlamingos are a wading bird, which means they are found along shorelines and on mudflats foraging for food in the shallow water. They will often use their bills to filter food from the water and consume small prey such as shrimps and insect larvae.Įstuaries, lakes (saline or alkaline), mud flats, lagoons With s-curved necks, vibrant colors, slender legs, and wide wingspans, these beautiful birds are found in tropical areas in Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America.Īs omnivores, flamingos feast on a host of organisms. The flamingo (Phoenicopterus) is easily one of the most recognized birds on the planet.
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