Flamingo: where it lives, what it eats, description. Pink flamingo Flamingo is pink because

It is difficult to imagine a more amazing and unusual bird than the flamingo. The color of the plumage of different species can vary greatly from delicate pink, orange to a rich red hue. In addition, the bird's long legs and unusual curved beak attract attention. Flamingos are famous for their grace and sophisticated beauty. It deserves to learn in more detail about its habitats, breeding and feeding habits.

Description of graceful birds

The most common species is the common flamingo, or, as it is also called, the pink one. The bird belongs to the order Flamingidae. The description of flamingos should begin with the fact that this species is the largest. The bird resembles a creature from the Garden of Eden. Despite the fact that she can most often be seen walking along the shore of a reservoir, she is an excellent swimmer. The unusual color of flamingos is impossible not to notice. In adult males and females, the main plumage is pale pink, the wings are purplish-red, and the flight feathers are black. The skin on long and thin legs also has a pink undertone. The bird has a large beak, as if broken in the middle, with a black tip.

When describing flamingos, one cannot fail to mention that they are somewhat similar to storks, cranes, and herons. But they have no relationship with these birds. The closest relatives of flamingos are ordinary geese. Previously, they were even part of the order Anseriformes. On average, a flamingo weighs several kilograms and has webbing between its front toes.

The appearance of the pink flamingo can be safely called exotic, due to the unique shade of its plumage. The birds hold their necks gracefully and gracefully, looking like a question mark. Very often you can see how these representatives of birds stand on one leg. In order not to freeze, they alternately tuck and hide one leg in their plumage. This situation seems difficult and inconvenient to people, but for them it is very simple.

The pink flamingo has small red rings and a frenulum “painted” around its eyes. The body is round, the tail is short. The bird is quite large, the body length is 120-130 cm. Adults can reach a weight of 4 kg. Each paw has four toes and three connecting membranes.

Why are flamingos so beautiful, what determines the pink color of their plumage? These birds have this coloring due to lipochromes (fatty pigments or carotenes) that they receive from food. Flamingos eat red crustaceans, which are high in carotene. Food is obtained by filtering water and mud using its beak. In zoos, these birds are just as beautiful because carotene-rich foods are specially added to their food: carrots, bell peppers, and shellfish.

Flamingo habitats

Common flamingos can be found in different parts of the world. Many people are eager to find out where flamingos live. They can be found in Africa and southwest Asia. This bird also lives in southern Europe - in France, Sardinia, and Spain. Places where flamingos live always attract tourists.

Birds can also be found in African countries such as Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania, Kenya, and the Cape Verde Islands. They also live in the south of Afghanistan, northwest India, and Sri Lanka. These birds also show off on several lakes in Kazakhstan.

Where do flamingos live in Russia? It is important to note that birds do not nest on the territory of the Russian Federation, but only sometimes migrate along the mouths of southern rivers. So, they can sometimes be seen on the Volga and next to other flowing reservoirs of the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories. Sometimes they fly to Siberia, Yakutia, Primorye, and the Urals, but only in the warm season. They go to Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Iran for the winter.

Flamingos are social birds; they live in colonies of varying numbers. For flights, they gather in flocks, and already on the ground they form groups. Their favorite habitats are salt lakes, sea lagoons, estuaries, and shallow waters. Most often they roam in large groups in places with muddy bottoms. Some pink flamingo colonies number hundreds of thousands of individuals.

These are sedentary birds; they roam only to find places for favorable living with sufficient food. Flights are made only by representatives of northern populations.

The living conditions of flamingos differ in different countries. Birds are quite hardy. Their favorite places are salty and alkaline lakes, where there are many crustaceans. Such reservoirs are usually located in the mountains. Birds stand in salt water all day long and do not feel discomfort due to the thick skin on their legs. To quench their thirst, they sometimes fly to springs with fresh water. Flamingos sleep standing in the water.

Nutrition

You already know where the flamingo lives, but what does this bird eat? The article has already mentioned small mollusks. Small crustaceans form the basis of the diet. Flamingos also eat worm larvae, insects, mollusks, and algae. Birds look for all this in shallow water in a thick layer of silt. The beak of these birds has a specific structure; along its edges there are filters that look like small plate-like combs. It plays the role of a kind of sieve. The flamingo keeps its beak in the upper layers of water, where there is a lot of plankton. The bird first draws water into it, then closes it and releases liquid through the beak, and swallows the food. This process goes very quickly.

Reproduction

The pink flamingo is a monogamous species that forms pairs that last a lifetime. There are exceptions where some individuals seek a new partner for each mating season. To hatch chicks, they build nests, which are located in large clusters, very close to each other.

Individuals older than three years are considered sexually mature. However, older birds (5-6 years old) are engaged in building nests. Several months before nesting, pairs engage in mating games. Both males and females take part in peculiar dances. This is an amazingly beautiful sight. Large groups of birds move in unison with necks straight and heads raised, which are constantly turned from side to side. When choosing a partner, plumage color plays an important role. The decision remains with the female; she chooses the male. The intensity of the color indicates the bird’s health and good appetite. The brighter it is, the more likely males are to be chosen by a female.

Those couples who took place earlier do not take part in the dances. Migratory birds perform mating displays in resting areas. As soon as they fly to the nesting sites, they immediately begin building nests. They do this for two weeks.

How do flamingos build nests?

The process of building nests is unique and labor-intensive. To reproduce, flamingos build cone-shaped structures from silt and clay in shallow water, resembling small mounds about 60 cm high. Both the female and the male are involved in the construction. They do not lay many eggs; most often there are 2-3 eggs in a clutch. Parents take turns incubating the chicks for thirty days. The chicks hatch completely independent and active. Within a few days they become full members of the colony.

Parents feed the chick with special bird milk, which is formed in the upper part of the esophagus. This milk is also pink in color. It is produced not only by females, but also by males. The hatched chicks are covered with white down, which turns gray over time. First, the cubs end up in a kind of kindergarten, which even has teachers. Parents are busy searching for food at this time. Such nurseries can house up to 200 cubs. Parents recognize their babies by their voice. The cubs begin to feed on their own after two months, when the beak grows. At three months, young flamingos are already similar in appearance to adult birds.

Flamingo species

Five species are currently known. Red flamingos live on islands in the Caribbean and the Galapagos. The color of their plumage can range from purple to bright red.

Dwarf or small flamingos live off the coast of the Persian Gulf, as well as in areas near the salt lakes of Kenya and Tanzania. Their body length reaches only 80 cm. High in the Andes there are salt lakes where Andean flamingos live. Their plumage is white and pink, less often scarlet. The very rare James's flamingo lives in Bolivia and northern Argentina. They feed on diatoms. In South America you can see Chilean flamingos. The wings of these birds have a red tint.

The dangerous life of flamingos in the wild

The natural threat of flamingos is predators: foxes, jackals, wolves. Birds of prey, such as eagles, also pose a certain danger to colonies. Sensing danger, the flamingos fly away. To take off, they need a takeoff run, which they can do both in water and on land. Since flamingos live in groups, it is difficult for predators to choose one specific prey, and their mottled wings make it difficult for them to focus. In the wild, birds live up to 30 years, in captivity - up to 40.

The ancestors of flamingos lived on the planet 30 million years ago.
The plumage of birds can be not only pink, but also red and even crimson.
To take off, they run 5-6 meters through the water.
In flight, they take the shape of a cross, extending their legs and neck.
Future parents sit on the nest with their legs tucked in and stand up from it, resting their beaks on the ground.

Protection of different species of flamingos

Due to poaching and human activities, the world's flamingo populations have decreased significantly. In the International Red Book they currently have the status of “Least Concern”. Some species were considered extinct for a long time. So, James's flamingos were found only in 1957. Many countries around the world have listed flamingos in their Red Books.

Fascinating with its magnificent grace and unusual coloring of feathers, it is sung in songs. Where do flamingos live? What are the conditions of their captivity, their characteristics and habits, what do they eat?

The red flamingo has pink to purple or bright red plumage.

Flamingo small

Of all modern species, the small one has the smallest size. Its body length is only 80 cm (others are more than 100 cm). In this species, the beak has a keel that descends into the depths of the beak. Its food mainly consists of algae.

When searching for food, the small flamingo does not lower its beak to the bottom, but simply moves it along the surface of the water from side to side. It nests on the salt lakes of Tanzania, Kenya, as well as off the coast of the Persian Gulf (Lake Sambhor in India).

Andean flamingo

Its habitat is salt lakes located in the Andes at an altitude of 2500 meters (north and center of Chile, southern Peru, northwestern Argentina and western Bolivia). They prefer lakes, and often waters with a high content of gypsum, caustic soda and hydrogen sulfide.

Adult flamingos are colored white-pink or beautiful pink-red colors are caused by the pigment that enters the birds' bodies with crustaceans (food). The flight wings of this bird are black, the legs are yellow.

Flamingo James

The birds live in the Andes of Bolivia and Northern Argentina. Food: diatoms. There are colonies of this species that also live in harsh mountain conditions.

This species, also called short-beaked, is very rare.

Chilean flamingo

This is a relatively short-legged flamingo found in South America. On mountain lakes (Andes) it can live together with the species of short-billed flamingos.

The color of the Chilean flamingo is light: scarlet or white-pink. Red shades are developed on the wing coverts, which is why flamingos received the Latin name meaning “fire-winged”. The legs are greenish, but the knees and paws are red.

Conclusion

Where do flamingos live in North America?

These birds belong to one of the oldest bird families. Their remains, which are closest to modern forms, date back to 30 million years ago, and the fossils of more primitive species date back to more than 50 million years ago.

They were found in places where flamingos do not live today: some parts of Europe, North America and Australia. This suggests that in the past these amazing birds had a wider habitat.

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Flamingos are not the only bird with such an extravagant shade of feathers. The same color adorns the pink gull and pink lentil, pink starling and pink pelican.

Some birds are born with a pink tint of feathers, while in others the color appears gradually, with age. But the reasons and mechanisms for color change are different for everyone. The color of flamingo plumage depends entirely on nutrition: the chicks have an unpresentable dirty white tint and only then become soft pink, bright red, sometimes acquiring a rich fuchsia color.
Unparalleled beauty appears thanks to carotenoids - natural pigments formed as a result of photosynthesis in fungi, bacteria, higher plants and algae.

It is algae and seafood that are the main components in the flamingo’s diet. It is not for nothing that the habitat of these unique birds is the shores of seas and salt lakes.

Today there are two popular versions of what is the source of carotenoids for pink flamingos. According to one of them, the plumage of birds turns red due to the consumption of the blue-green algae spirulina. Another hypothesis states that this is due to Artemia - small crustaceans that live in salt water.

Categories:

Flamingos are not the only bird with such an extravagant shade of feathers. The same color adorns the pink gull and pink lentil, pink starling and pink pelican.

Some birds are born with a pink tint of feathers, while in others the color appears gradually, with age. But the reasons and mechanisms for color change are different for everyone.

The color of flamingo plumage depends entirely on nutrition: the chicks have an unpresentable dirty white hue and only then become soft pink, bright red, sometimes acquiring a rich fuchsia color.
Unparalleled beauty appears thanks to carotenoids - natural pigments formed as a result of photosynthesis in fungi, bacteria, higher plants and algae.

It is algae and seafood that are the main components in the flamingo’s diet. It is not for nothing that the habitat of these unique birds is the shores of seas and salt lakes.

The red flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) is a very beautiful, bright and graceful bird, listed in... She amazes not only with her amazing beauty, but also with her behavior. Unfortunately, this extraordinary subspecies of flamingo is very rare.

The bird differs from the pink flamingo (another subspecies) in its bright red color and smaller size, but the biology of both subspecies is similar.

Recently, the number of red flamingos has decreased by 5 times. Currently, the number of individuals within the entire range is about 22 thousand. Their numbers are sharply declining due to a decrease in suitable nesting sites, as well as disturbance factors.

Appearance of a red flamingo

The body length of an adult is 110 cm. The plumage ranges in color from pink to bright red. They have a graceful head with a powerful beak on a long neck.

Habitats of the subspecies

The red flamingo lives on the Galapagos and Caribbean islands, as well as the northeastern coasts of South America and its southern part.

Nutrition and feeding behavior of red flamingos

The small reddish crustacean Artemia, as well as its eggs, form the basis of the flamingo’s diet. In addition, the diet includes:

small crustaceans,
shellfish,
worms,
diatoms and blue-green algae.

The flamingo searches for food in shallow water areas, digging with its beak at the bottom of the reservoir, lowering its head under the water, but not deep. The lower jaw is at the top, the upper jaw is at the bottom, and the crown almost touches the bottom.

The parents feed the chicks with light pink regurgitated liquid for two months. It contains semi-digested food and secretions from the proventriculus and glands of the lower esophagus. In terms of nutritional value, the liquid can be compared to the milk that mammals feed their babies.

Flamingos drink brackish and also fresh water that runs down their plumage when it rains.

Reproduction and nesting of the red flamingo

Red flamingos nest in small colonies of 5-50 pairs. To do this, they select salty swamps on the gently sloping shores of lakes, islands and lagoons of the sea coast.

Flamingos are monogamous, forming pairs for several years. At nesting sites they protect their nest directly.

The nest looks like a truncated cone. It is made from gypsum and sea silt. One clutch contains from 1 to 3 large white eggs. The female and male incubate the eggs together for 27-32 days. They also take care of the offspring together (role model).

Hatched chicks are very active from birth. They are sighted and have a straight beak. Their bodies are covered with down.

A few days after hatching, small but independent chicks leave their nest. After a month they change their downy outfit.

After leaving the nest, red flamingo chicks gather in large groups. During this time, so-called “duty teachers” look after them. They monitor the younger generation during moments of temporary absence of parents.

On the 65th day of life, the chicks acquire the ability to fly, and the formation of their filtering apparatus ends. At 4-5 years old, flamingos become sexually mature individuals.

Lifespan

In the wild, the red flamingo lives up to 30 years, and in captivity up to 35-40 years.

What do flamingos eat? Appearance

The flamingo rightfully bears the title of not only the longest-legged, but also the longest-necked bird. The flamingo has a small head, but a huge beak, larger than it and curved downwards, in which (unlike most birds) it is not the mandible that moves, but the suprabeak. The edges of the massive beak are equipped with horny plates and denticles, with the help of which birds filter the liquid to obtain food.

This is interesting! Its neck (in relation to the size of its body) is longer and thinner than that of a swan, which is why the flamingo gets tired of holding it straight and periodically throws it over its back so that the muscles can rest.

There are also horny plates on the upper surface of the thick, fleshy tongue. In flamingos, the upper half of the lower leg is feathered, and the tarsus is almost three times as long as the latter. A developed swimming membrane is noticeable between the front toes, and the rear toe is very small or absent. The plumage is loose and soft. There are unfeathered areas on the head - rings around the eyes, chin and frenulum. The wings are of moderate length, wide, edged with black (not always).

The short tail consists of 12–16 tail feathers, with the middle pair being the longest. Not all flamingo species are shades of red (from soft pink to purple), but sometimes they are off-white or gray.

Lipochromes, coloring pigments that enter the body along with food, are responsible for coloring. The wingspan is 1.5 m. When molting, which lasts a month, the flamingo loses its wing feathers and becomes absolutely vulnerable, losing the ability to take off when in danger.

What determines the color of a flamingo? Basics:

The flamingo is a large bird with beautiful pink or red feathers, also known for its long legs and slightly crooked long beak.

The largest among flamingos, the Pink Flamingo, reaches 1.2-1.5 meters in height and weighs a maximum of 3.5 kilograms. The smallest flamingos are the Lesser Flamingo, which is just over 0.8 meters long and weighs an average of 2.5 kilograms.

Pink flamingos have the palest feather colors, while Caribbean flamingos are famous for their bright pink, almost red feathers.

Flamingos come from an ancient lineage of birds, with ancestors similar to modern species living on the planet as early as 30 million years ago, according to the Smithsonian's National Zoo.

The distinctive pink color of flamingos depends on the food they eat. They feed on algae and shrimp, which contain carotenoid pigments (these pigments are what give oranges their orange color), which turn into red pigments when digested.

When eating, flamingos lower their heads under the water, draw in water with their beaks, sifting out the nutritious foods they eat, and the water comes out through their beaks. Tiny, hair-like filters help filter out food and release water. One study found that a special float that supports the bird's head allows it to feed by turning its head upside down and holding it on the surface of the water.

The long legs of flamingos help them walk along the bottom even at relatively great depths in search of food, which gives them some advantages over other birds.

Flamingos are social birds that live in groups of different sizes. They gather in flocks when they fly from place to place, and also prefer to stay in groups when they are on the ground. Flamingos also have loud and shrill calls.

These birds can fly, but they need a short run to get off the ground. During flight, they extend their long necks and legs in one straight line.

Flamingos pair up during the mating season, but find other partners the following season. The female and male build a nest together. The female lays only one egg per season, which is guarded by both parents. After the chick hatches, both parents are also responsible for feeding it.

The nest is usually built from mud and is about 0.3 meters high. The height allows you to protect it from floods and the very heated surface of the earth. After hatching, the chick has gray feathers and a pink beak and legs. They do not acquire the characteristic pink color of their feathers until they are 2 years old.

After hatching, flamingo chicks remain in the nest for 5-12 days, fed a fatty substance with nutrients produced in the upper parts of the digestive tract of the parents. When the chick grows up, it begins to feed on its own along with the main group of birds in the so-called “nursery”.

Flamingos have only a few natural enemies. In the wild they live to be 20-30 years old, in captivity they live for more than 30 years.

Where are pink flamingos?

Flamingos are common in Africa, the Caucasus (Azerbaijan), Southeast and Central Asia, as well as South and Central America. Colonies of the pink or common flamingo also exist in southern Spain, France and Sardinia.

What does the pink flamingo symbolize?

The flamingo bird is a symbol of the fulfillment of your desires. Flamingo birds are beautiful and unusual due to their plumage. Some species of flamingos have bright plumage that resembles flames. ... Flamingos personified the Egyptian sun god Ra.

Flamingo bird, a resident of the African and southern parts of the Asian continent, some territorial parts of southern Europe. And even in St. Petersburg and Dagestan they were noticed.

The pink flamingo is one of the largest representatives of its genus. The rest of them are: Common and Red Flamingo. Andean and Chilean flamingos. Lesser and James's flamingo.

The smallest of the flamingo species is the Lesser. It does not grow even a meter tall, and an adult bird weighs only two kilograms. Pink adult flamingos weigh four to five kilograms.

And flamingos are one and a half meters tall. In fact, they have the longest necks and legs when compared to the crane and heron families. Well, as always happens in nature, males, of course, are larger and more beautiful than females.

The color of flamingos comes in a variety of shades, from dirty white and gray to deep coral and purple. And their color directly depends on what they eat. After all, some algae eaten as food color their feathers a delicate pink hue.

And the more flamingos eat those same algae, the brighter the color it will be. And the tips of the wings are black. But this can only be seen when the bird is in flight. After all, there is no more beautiful sight than a flock of flying Pink flamingos.

The flamingo's head is small, but it has a huge beak. The edges of which are equipped with very small denticulate partitions. The upper part of the beak is curved, similar to a knee, pointed towards the bottom.

And it is the only movable part, unlike the lower one. The base of the beak and up to its half are light, the end is dark, almost black. The neck is longer and thinner than a swan's, so the bird quickly gets tired of holding it straight and often throws it over its back to relax its muscles. On the chin and in the eye area, flamingos have no feathers at all. The plumage of the entire bird is loose. And their tails are very short.

The wingspan of an adult flamingo is one and a half meters. It’s interesting that when a bird matures, it completely loses the feathers on its wings, all at once. And for a whole month, until she fledges again, she becomes vulnerable, defenseless against predators. Since he completely loses the ability to fly.

The legs of pink flamingos are thin and long. In case of escape, in order to take off, they need to run another five meters along the shallow shore. Then, taking off, flap your wings very often.

And once in the air, they keep their neck straight, straight forward. The legs also do not bend throughout the entire journey. Like a flock of pink crosses flying across the sky.

Also, you can see in the photo of flamingos, they always stand on one leg. And this is not just like that. They have to stay in water for a long time, which is not always warm. Therefore, in order not to overcool its body, the flamingo now and then changes one or the other leg.

The front toes are elongated and webbed like those of waterfowl. And the back toe, like a small appendage, is located on the leg, higher than the front toes. Or some don’t have it at all.

What do flamingos eat?

Video Why are FLAMINGOS PINK?

The pink flamingo is the most common type of flamingo. Flamingos live in Africa, southern Europe and southwest Asia. In Europe, flamingo colonies live in the south of France, Spain and Sardinia. In Africa, flamingos live in the south of the continent, as well as in Tunisia, Morocco, Mauritania, Kenya and the Cape Verde Islands. Flamingos live in the lakes of Southern Afghanistan, North-West India and Sri Lanka. The pink flamingo also lives in several lakes in Kazakhstan.

The pink flamingo does not nest in Russia, but regularly migrates across its territory - at the mouth of the Volga River, in the Krasnodar and Stavropol territories. It flies to the south of Siberia, as well as to Yakutia, Primorye, and the Urals. Pink flamingos flying through Russia winter in Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Iran.

Flamingos live their entire lives in groups of different sizes, because they are social birds. Flying from place to place, they gather in flocks, and while on the ground they stay in groups. The pink flamingo lives in large lakes with salt water, in sea lagoons and estuaries, in shallow waters in inaccessible places and with muddy bottoms. Flamingos live along the banks of water bodies in large colonies that can number hundreds of thousands of individuals.

Mostly flamingos live sedentary lives. These birds can wander within their habitat in order to find a place with more favorable living conditions or if there is a lack of food in the previous place. Only northern populations of pink flamingos migrate for nesting.

Flamingos live in different conditions and are able to tolerate sudden temperature fluctuations. Pink flamingos have good endurance and can cope even with extreme weather conditions, which not every animal can survive. They are found near very salty or alkaline lakes. This is due to large populations of crustaceans in salty waters, where fish do not live due to increased salinity. The pink flamingo also lives on high mountain lakes.

The common flamingo can survive in aggressive conditions of an alkaline and salty environment thanks to the dense skin on its legs. Also, to quench their thirst and wash away the salt, the birds periodically visit nearby sources of fresh water.

Poaching and intensive economic activity have led to a worldwide decline in their population. So far, this species has the status of “least concern” in the International Red Book.

What color is a flamingo?

Depending on how intensively the bird’s body is supplied with carotenoids, flamingos acquire one color or another. The color of flamingos lies within the white-red range and allows such options as white, pink, red, crimson. The tips of flamingos' wings are usually black.

Ecology

Basics:

The flamingo is a large bird with beautiful pink or red feathers, also known for its long legs and slightly crooked long beak.

The largest among flamingos is Pink flamingo - reaches 1.2-1.5 meters in height and weighs a maximum of 3.5 kilograms. The smallest flamingos - Lesser flamingo - only a little more than 0.8 meters in length, its weight is on average 2.5 kilograms.

Pink flamingos have the palest feather colors when... Caribbean flamingos famous for their bright pink, almost red feathers.

Flamingos come from an ancient genus of birds; their ancestors, similar to modern species, lived on the planet 30 million years ago, according to Smithsonian National Zoo.

The distinctive pink color of flamingos depends on the food they eat. They feed on algae and shrimp, which contain pigments carotenoids(these pigments are what give oranges their orange color), which turn into red pigments when digested.

The long legs of flamingos help them walk along the bottom even at relatively great depths in search of food, which gives them some advantages over other birds.

These birds can fly, but they need a short run to get off the ground. During flight, they extend their long necks and legs in one straight line.

Flamingos have only a few natural enemies. In the wild they live to be 20-30 years old, in captivity they live for more than 30 years.

Habitats:

Flamingos are native to North and South America, Africa and Asia. Fossils show they were once common over much larger areas, including North America, Europe and Australia.

Pink flamingos They live in Africa, southern Europe and southwestern Asia. Lesser flamingos found in Africa and the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent. Chilean flamingos found in southwestern South America. Caribbean flamingos can be found in the Caribbean, northern South America, the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula and the Galapagos Islands. In Peru, Chile, Bolivia and Argentina live Andean flamingo And James's flamingo.

These birds prefer to live near salty shallow lakes, in coastal lagoons, on shallows and near estuaries.

Security status:

Least Concern: Pink flamingo, Caribbean flamingo

Those in a state of near-threat: Chilean flamingo, Lesser flamingo, James's flamingo

Vulnerable: Andean flamingo

The Andean flamingo population is in severe decline due to loss of habitat and environmental quality.

-- In East Africa, flamingos group in gigantic flocks of more than a million individuals, forming the largest flocks of birds on the planet.

Of all the flamingo species, only the Andean flamingo has yellow legs.

The ancient Romans highly valued flamingo tongue as a delicacy. Flamingos also feed on eggs in different parts of the world.

It is still not clear exactly why flamingos stand on one leg. According to one version, they pull one leg out of cold water, which helps them save heat. When resting, they often bend one leg, which seems very comfortable for them.