Flamingos are the pink birds with long legs that can swim and fly as well. There are five species of flamingos found throughout the world. There are several physical characteristics that make them stand out from other birds. The greater flamingo is the tallest flamingo, standing 110 to 130 cm and weighing up to 3.5 kg. The lesser flamingo is the smallest flamingo, standing 80 cm and weighing only 2.5 kg. The wingspan of flamingos ranges from 95 to 100 cm.

Feather colour of flamingos varies with species, ranging from pale pink to crimson or vermilion. Their pink or reddish feather colour comes from their food that contains beta-carotene, like carrots. Flamingos that are well-fed and healthy are coloured vibrant pink. White or pale flamingos are usually considered unhealthy or suffering from lack of food. Colouration of flamingos’ legs and feet varies according to species from yellow to orange or pink-red.

Flamingos are a very social bird. They live in large groups all year long called colonies. Tens of thousands of flamingos can live in one colony. Within the whole colony, groups of birds will be engaged in courtship displays including marching and head turning, calling and preening.

Several hundred to several thousand flamingos are all doing the same behaviours at the same time. This helps to synchronise breeding within the colony, so that most of the birds are laying eggs or raising young at the same time.

Hunting Style

Flamingos use their oddly-shaped beaks to filter small food items from the water. They lower their head into the water, upside-down. They move their head from side to side, collecting the food/water mixture. The filtering of food items is assisted by hairy structures called lamellae which line the mandibles, and the large rough-surfaced tongue. Their tongue is

covered with bristle like projections that help filter water and food particles through the lamellae.

They also stamp their long legs and webbed feet on the muddy bottom of lakes to mix the food particles with the water.

Favourite Food

Flamingos diet usually consists of seeds, diatoms, blue-green algae and crustaceans. Different species of flamingos have slightly different shaped bills. So the types of food also varies according to the shapes of their bill which help them obtain food. Flamingos drink fresh water.

Their Home

Flamingos live in lakes, where there is lots of mud and water. They are mostly found in large alkaline or saline lakes that usually lack vegetation. Lakes may be far inland or near the sea. Some flamingos are scarce or absent in lakes with fish. They are present, usually in large numbers, where there are no fish with which they may have to compete for food. As both the fish and flamingos feed primarily on invertebrates.

Nesting

Flamingo’s nests are built of mud, small stones, straw and feathers on the ground and is in the shape of a volcano. Mounds can be as high as 30 cm. They start building nests from six weeks before the eggs are laid. Using their bills, both male and female participate in building the nest by bringing mud and other objects toward their feet. As they slowly construct the mound, the parents form a shallow well on the top where the egg is laid. Mounds serve as protection against the extreme heat and flooding that occurs at ground level.

Young Ones

Every flamingo does not nest every year. They typically lay one large, white egg. Both parents will take turns incubating the egg for 26 to 31 days. Hatching takes between 24 and 36 hours. The chick breaks through the shell using a growth on its bill called an egg tooth that falls off soon after hatching. Newly hatched chicks have gray or white down feathers, a straight red bill, and plump, swollen red or pink legs. All the chicks from the colony and a few adult birds will form a group called crèche. The crèche is like a big nursery school for the young flamingos. In the large colonies, parents are able to recognise their own chick by sight and vocalisation.

Adults feed their chicks a secretion of the upper digestive tract referred to as milk. Milk secretion is caused by the hormone prolactin, which both the male and female flamingo produce. Young ones will leave the nest after four to seven days. Chicks begin to grow their flight feathers after 11 weeks. At the same time, the bill begins to hook, allowing the chick to feed itself. They lose their juvenile gray or white colour and feathers turn pink gradually over one to three years.