The Flamingo is a large wading wetlands bird in the Phoenicopteridae family.
The four Flamingo species are found in countries in North America, South America, Africa, southern Europe and south-west Asia.
It is a social bird, living in colonies. A group is called a stand of Flamingos or a flamboyance of Flamingos.
Continue reading “Flamingo friends forever”
People often say “You are what you eat.” What does this phrase mean? It means that the food you eat makes a difference to your health. The phrase began in 1826 when French lawyer Anthelme Brillat-Savarin wrote it, but it became more popular in America from 1923 when it appeared in the Bridgeport Telegraph newspaper.
The phrase is generally not used for animals. However, for the Flamingo it is true, and that is why the Flamingo is pink.
The Flamingo has orange-pink feathers. The orange-pink colour comes from the food it eats.
Continue reading “You Are What You Eat: Why the Flamingo is Pink”
What is a group of flamingos called?
A group of flamingos is called a stand of flamingos or a flamboyance of flamingos.
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Some animals have young that look like a similar but miniature version of the adult. Other animals have young that look very different from the adult.
The young (juvenile) American Flamingo looks very different from its parents.
The American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) is a large wetland wading bird with reddish-pink feathers, a large beak, long legs, and a curved S-shaped neck.
The juvenile flamingo has fluffy grey feathers. The adult flamingo has reddish-pink well-defined feathers. It takes 2-3 years for the juvenile flamingo to gain its pink feathers.
Continue reading “American Flamingo: from Juvenile to Adult”
Why is the flamingo beak unique?
The flamingo has a large beak, with the biggest part on the bottom and the smallest part on the top. The top part is moveable.
This is the reverse, or opposite, of the beak of other birds. Other birds have a larger top part and a smaller, moveable bottom part.
So, why is the flamingo beak unique and reversed?
Continue reading “Flamingo Beak – It’s Unique”
The American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) is a large wetland wading bird with reddish-pink feathers, a large beak, long legs, and a curved S-shaped neck.
The adult Flamingo measures 120-145 centimetres (47-57 inches) tall.
The photographed American Flamingo chick was born on 18 March 2019 in the Paris Zoo in France, so it is now 8 months old. It was first photographed when it was one month old.
Continue reading “American Flamingo Juvenile”
The American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) is a large wetland wading bird with reddish-pink feathers, a large beak, long legs, and a curved S-shaped neck.
The adult Flamingo measures 120-145 centimetres (47-57 inches) tall.
The female lays one egg on the muddy ground and both parents look after it. The egg hatches after 28-32 days.
The chick has greyish-white feathers, and does not gain its pink colour for 2-3 years. Both parents look after the chick for the first six years of its life.
Continue reading “Flamingo Chick”
The American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) is a large wetland wading bird. It is also known as the Caribbean Flamingo.
The American Flamingo has reddish-pink feathers. Its wing coverts are red, and the primary and secondary flight feathers are black. Its beak is pink and white with a black tip. Its long legs are pink, and it usually stands on one leg. It has a long, curved S-shaped neck.
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What’s the difference between the Chilean Flamingo, Greater Flamingo, and Lessor Flamingo?
The Chilean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis), Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber roseus), and Lessor Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor) are large wetland birds with S-shaped necks.
The Chilean Flamingo is from South America, and the Greater and Lesser Flamingo are from east and southern Africa. The Greater and Lesser Flamingo colonies often mix together.
The Chilean Flamingo has a pink body with darker pink wing feathers. The Greater Flamingo has a white or pale-pink body with black flight feathers. The Lesser Flamingo has a rose-pink to white body with black flight feathers.
Continue reading “Chilean Flamingo, Greater Flamingo, and Lesser Flamingo: what’s the difference?”
The Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor) is a large bird from east and southern Africa.
The Lesser Flamingo has a rose-pink to white body with black flight feathers. It has dark-red legs. Its downward-curved beak is all black. Its neck is long and S-shaped.
The Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber roseus) is a large bird from east and southern Africa.
The Greater Flamingo has a white or pale-pink body with black flight feathers. It has pale-pink legs with pink knees and joints. Its downward-curved beak is pale-pink with a black tip. Its neck is long and S-shaped.
The Chilean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis) is a large bird from South America.
The Chilean Flamingo has a pink body with darker pink wing feathers. It has greyish legs with pink knees and joints. Its downward-curved beak is cream and black. Its neck is long and S-shaped.
What birds are cranes related to?
Cranes are related to herons, storks, spoonbills, flamingos, marabou, jabiru, bitterns, egrets, brolgas, and ibises.
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM
Almost all birds stand on one leg. Some can even sleep while standing on one leg. Why do they do it and why don’t they fall over?
Long-legged birds, such as storks and flamingos, often stand on one leg, but so do short-legged birds, such as ducks.
Birds generally don’t have feathers on their legs. Standing on one leg reduces heat loss. Birds tuck one leg under their feathered body to keep it warm, leaving only one leg exposed.