Phoenicopterus ruber, the greater flamingo, is found in salwater lagoons along the coasts of Central and South America, Africa, the Middle East and India. The largest of the five flamingo species (up to 57 inches tall), greater flamingos breed in dense colonies (as many as 200,000 pairs!). The parents construct a nest of mud and lay a single egg; the grey chick is fed a milk-like substance, which the parents form in their digestive tracts and regurgitate directly into the chick's bill.

Flamingos feed on tiny crustaceans and particles of algae, which they filter from the fine mud of saltwater lagoons. Their special bills are perfectly adapted for scooping mud, pumping water through it and keeping the small food particles for the bird to swallow. In fact, the birds' pink color is derived from the foods they eat: the pigment-rich leaves from the mangroves fall into the water, where they are eaten by tiny crustaceans, which are then eaten by flamingos. The pigments, called carotenoids, are then absorbed by the flamingos' developing feathers...making them pink! Carotenoids are used by many birds to create shades of yellow, orange and red.

The videos below were taken at the Celestun Biosphere Reserve, in Yucatan, Mexico (QuickTime Player required). See more pictures of flamingos here.

Two flamingos in flight
Video (6 seconds)

Flamingos fighting
Video (16 seconds)

Flamingos feeding
Video (7 seconds)

Flamingos feeding and fighting
Video (13 seconds)

A small group of flamingos walking
Video (27 seconds)

A larger group of flamingos at rest and preening
Video (25 seconds)

Images on TIDES:
Flamingos
Birds on TIDES

Related Links:
Flamingo cam (National Zoo)
Greater flamingo (National Geographic)
Phoenicopterus ruber (Animal Diversity Web)

Back to Birds

Photos: Priscilla Coulter, SFASU Library
Video: Linda Reynolds, SFASU Library