| Kingdom: Phylum: Class: Order: Family: Genus: Scientific Name: | Animalia Chordata Aves Phoenicopteriformes Phoenicopteridae Phoenicopterus Phoenicopterus |
| Type: | Bird |
| Diet: | Omnivore |
| Size (H): | 100cm - 150cm (39in - 59in) |
| Wing Span: | 100cm - 180cm (59in - 71in) |
| Weight: | 2kg - 4kg (4.4lbs - 8.8lbs) |
| Top Speed: | 50km/h (31mph) |
| Life Span: | 15 - 30 years |
| Lifestyle: | Flock |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |
| Colour: | Pink, Orange, Blue, White |
| Skin Type: | Feathers |
| Favourite Food: | Algae |
| Habitat: | Large lakes and plant less lagoons |
| Average Clutch Size: | 1 |
| Main Prey: | Algae, Fish, Insects |
| Predators: | Human, Eagles, Wild dogs |
| Distinctive Features: | Long, curved beak and sleep standing on one leg |
Flamingo
Flamingos /fləˈmɪŋɡoʊz/ are type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, the only family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. They are famous for their bright pink feathers, stilt-like legs, and S-shaped neck. The word "flamingo" comes from the Spanish and Latin word "flamenco" which means fire, and refers to the bright color of the birds' feathers. Not all flamingos are brightly colored, however, and some of the birds are mostly gray or white. The strength of a flamingo's coloration comes from its diet.
Species
There are six distinct species of flamingo, but it takes a trained eye to distinguish them. Even though there are only six species of flamingos in the world, birders and non-birders alike can instantly recognize these flamboyant birds. These distinctive wading bird are some of the most unique in the world, though each species has its own special characteristics.
Behavior
Flamingos are strong but rare swimmers and powerful fliers, even though they're most often seen just wading. Flamingos do fly very well, however, and many flamingos migrate or regularly fly between the best food sources and nesting grounds.
When flying in a flock, the top speed of a flamingo can be as high as 35 miles per hour. They can seem ungainly or clumsy in flight, however, because their long necks stretch out in front of their bodies and their long legs dangle well past their short tails.
Flamingos hold their bills upside down while feeding, often for several hours a day, so they can filter out their food while skimming the water. They may seem to nibble or scoop at the surface of the water as they strain out small bits of algae, insects, brine shrimp and other food material.
A flamingo chick's bill is small and straight, without any distinct color patches. After a few months, their growing bills will develop the distinct "break" curve and they will be eating mostly on their own.
Flamingos are monogamous birds that lay only a single egg each year. If that egg is lost or damaged, they do not typically lay a replacement. If a flamingo colony is ransacked by predators or hit with a natural disaster, it can take several years for the birds to recover and for their population to grow again.
Parent flamingos feed their chicks exclusively crop milk for 5-12 days after hatching, though young flamingos may continue to eat crop milk for up to two months as their bills develop. This high fat, high protein substance is not like mammalian milk, but is excellent nutrition for growing chicks. Parent flamingos produce crop milk in their digestive tracts and regurgitate it to feed their young.
Flamingo chicks are born gray or white and take up to three years to reach their mature pink, orange or red plumage. Their young feathers are much less structured and fluffy than adult plumage, but that down provides excellent insulation to help keep baby flamingos warm.
Flamingos have a wild lifespan of 20-30 years, but in captivity have been recorded as living up to 50 years or longer. Captive flamingos typically live longer because they are not subject to predators, poachers or other threats, and they receive excellent veterinary care and abundant food.
Appereance
The pink or reddish color of flamingos comes from carotenoids in their diet of animal and plant plankton. These carotenoids are broken down into pigments by liver enzymes. The source of this varies by species, and affects the saturation of color. Flamingos whose sole diet is blue-green algae are darker in color compared to those who get it second hand (e.g. from animals that have digested blue-green algae).
Where to find |
| American Flamingo |
American (Caribbean) Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber)
Andean Flamingo (Phoenicoparrus andinus)
Chilean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis)
Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)
Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor)Puna (James's) Flamingo (Phoenicoparrus jamesi)
Andean Flamingo
 |
| Lesser Flamingo |
 |
| Chilean Flamingo |
 |
| Greater Flamingo |
 |
| James's Flamingo |
Behavior
Flamingos are strong but rare swimmers and powerful fliers, even though they're most often seen just wading. Flamingos do fly very well, however, and many flamingos migrate or regularly fly between the best food sources and nesting grounds.When flying in a flock, the top speed of a flamingo can be as high as 35 miles per hour. They can seem ungainly or clumsy in flight, however, because their long necks stretch out in front of their bodies and their long legs dangle well past their short tails.
Flamingos hold their bills upside down while feeding, often for several hours a day, so they can filter out their food while skimming the water. They may seem to nibble or scoop at the surface of the water as they strain out small bits of algae, insects, brine shrimp and other food material.
A flamingo chick's bill is small and straight, without any distinct color patches. After a few months, their growing bills will develop the distinct "break" curve and they will be eating mostly on their own.
Flamingos are monogamous birds that lay only a single egg each year. If that egg is lost or damaged, they do not typically lay a replacement. If a flamingo colony is ransacked by predators or hit with a natural disaster, it can take several years for the birds to recover and for their population to grow again.
Parent flamingos feed their chicks exclusively crop milk for 5-12 days after hatching, though young flamingos may continue to eat crop milk for up to two months as their bills develop. This high fat, high protein substance is not like mammalian milk, but is excellent nutrition for growing chicks. Parent flamingos produce crop milk in their digestive tracts and regurgitate it to feed their young.
Flamingos have a wild lifespan of 20-30 years, but in captivity have been recorded as living up to 50 years or longer. Captive flamingos typically live longer because they are not subject to predators, poachers or other threats, and they receive excellent veterinary care and abundant food.
Appereance
The pink or reddish color of flamingos comes from carotenoids in their diet of animal and plant plankton. These carotenoids are broken down into pigments by liver enzymes. The source of this varies by species, and affects the saturation of color. Flamingos whose sole diet is blue-green algae are darker in color compared to those who get it second hand (e.g. from animals that have digested blue-green algae).
Chilean, Andean and James' flamingos live in South America, and the greater and lesser flamingos live in Africa. Greater flamingos can also be found in the Middle East and India. Flamingos are water birds, so they live in and around lagoons or lakes. These bodies of water tend to be saline or alkaline
Sources :
http://birding.about.com/od/Bird-Lists/a/Flamingo-Species-List.htm
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/flamingo/#flamingo-flying.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamingo
http://mentalfloss.com/article/61853/15-fascinating-flamingo-facts
http://www.softschools.com/facts/animals/flamingo_facts/5/
http://www.slim-bridge.co.uk/flamingo%20types.html
http://birding.about.com/od/Bird-Lists/a/Flamingo-Species-List.htm
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/flamingo/#flamingo-flying.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamingo
http://mentalfloss.com/article/61853/15-fascinating-flamingo-facts
http://www.softschools.com/facts/animals/flamingo_facts/5/
http://www.slim-bridge.co.uk/flamingo%20types.html
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