Some flamingos live in extreme environments.įlamingos are typically found in shallow saltwater or brackish waters (where saltwater and freshwater mix).

When the leg bends, it’s the ankle you see hinging.ħ. Confused? Think of a flamingo as standing on tiptoe. A flamingo’s knees are located higher up the legs, hidden by the body and feathers. What looks like a flamingo's knee is really its ankle joint. Don’t let your eyes deceive you - a flamingo’s knees don’t bend backward!įlamingo legs actually bend just like human legs. There are more than 2 million lesser flamingos brightening skies and shores with their pink plumage. They are the smallest flamingos and the most abundant.

Lesser flamingos are found in parts of Africa and southern Asia. Andean flamingos are the rarest of the six species, with fewer than 40,000 birds. They are the largest and tallest flamingo species.Ĭhilean, Andean, and James’s flamingos are found only in South America. Greater flamingos are found in parts of Africa, Asia, and Europe. In addition to Caribbean flamingos, there are lesser, greater, James’s (or Puna), Chilean and Andean flamingos. In the wild, flamingos sometimes gather by the thousands! Scientists estimate that there are more than 200,000 Caribbean flamingos in the wild, with populations in the Bahamas and Cuba, Mexico, and the Southern Caribbean - as well as a small group of about 400-500 in the Galápagos Islands. The Zoo’s historic Bird House may be closed for renovations, but keepers continue to care for more than 60 Caribbean flamingos (also called American flamingos) behind the scenes. So, what is a group of flamingos called? A flamboyance! Other collective nouns for flamingos include stand, colony and pat. A group of flamingos is called a flamboyance.Ī group of crows is called a murder, and a group of geese is called a gaggle. Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute 4. The flamingo pool is heated to 70 degrees Fahrenheit to keep the birds comfortable - even when it’s snowing. Bird House keepers apply this natural thermoregulation to keep the Zoo’s flock warm in the winter, too. In warm climates, flamingos keep cool by standing in water. Comb-like plates along the edge of the bill create a filter for water to rush out, while trapping food inside. It then sweeps its head side-to-side, using its tongue to pump water in and out of its bill. When it’s time to eat, a flamingo will place its head upside down in the water with its bill pointed at its feet. They eat algae, small seeds, tiny crustaceans (like brine shrimp), fly larvae, and other plants and animals that live in shallow waters. The term filter feeder may conjure images of baleen whales or oyster reefs, but flamingos are filter feeders too. Flamingos are filter feeders and turn their heads “upside down” to eat. As a flamingo dines on algae and brine shrimp, its body metabolizes the pigments - turning its feathers pink. They are also found in the microscopic algae that brine shrimp eat. Carotenoids give carrots their orange color or turn ripe tomatoes red. Many plants produce natural red, yellow or orange pigments, called carotenoids. Flamingos get their pink color from their food.įlamingos really are what they eat. Bird House keepers have worked to breed flamingos since the early ‘90s and have welcomed more than 120 chicks over the years! 2. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo has been home to flamingos since around its founding more than 130 years ago. It takes several years for them to acquire their signature pink color and hook-shaped bills. Flamingo chicks hatch with white-gray, downy feathers and straight bills. Both help to build the nest and incubate the egg. Flamingos are monogamous, and mom and dad are team players. Flamingo nests are made of mud.Ī flamingo’s nest looks like a mini mud volcano, with room for one large egg. Get to know these delightfully unusual birds with 10 fun facts - some of which may surprise you! 1. There's more to a flamingo than its bright pink feathers.

Do flamingos fly