14 Amazing Facts about Flamingos

 What are Flamingos?

Flamingos are large birds with long, stick-like legs and pink feathers. They live in Africa, South and Central America, Asia, and Europe. Their habitat is mainly salty lakes. The lakes are so salty that only a few animals can live in them - e.g. crayfish. This is a big pro: no predators!

Flamingos are known to often stand on one leg while resting. Diet: brine shrimp, blue-green algae, insect larvae, small insects, mollusks, crustaceans; daily consumption: 2-9.5 oz. (60-270 g)

They eat algae and crustaceans that contain pigments (carotenoids). These pigments color their plumage pink.

Lots of  pigments in food = pink plumage; Few pigments in food = rosy/white plumage.

To eat, flamingos duck their bills down and scoop up a mouthful of water and mud.

They filter the mud by forcing it through their comb-like beak.

The water escapes while the food is retained by the so-called lamellae.

Body dimensions: 3.2-4.5 ft (100-140 cm); Flamingos only weigh 4.4-6.6 lb (2-3 kg).

Amazing facts about Flamingos

1. Why do flamingos stand on one leg? There are many guesses. The most likely is that this posture helps them to conserve body heat.
2. Why do flamingos have long, stick-like legs? They can wade deeper into the water. There is more food there.
3. Social behavior: Flamingos are very social birds and like to form large groups.
4. At Lake Natron in Tanzania (East Africa) there are colonies with more than two million lesser flamingos.
5. Flamingo "dance" moves: Flamingos show how fit and strong they are by performing ritual displays. Display behavior!
6. Head-flagging: They stretch their necks upwards and tilt their head from side to side.
7. Wing salute: They spread their wings wide.
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9. Marching: They march together in one direction - like a brass band.
10. Wing-leg stretch: They spread one wing and lift up one leg on one side of the body.
11. Flight behavior: Flamingos can fly. However, to reach the necessary speed, they have to take a run.
12. Flamingos reach a speed of up to 31 mph (50 km/h).
13. They flap their wings rapidly and continuously during their flight.
14. Flamingos usually fly together in large groups.

Types of Flamingos

There are 6 species: Andean flamingo -  Only flamingo species with yellow legs. Greater flamingo - Only flamingo species in Europe.

James flamingo - Only flamingo species with a yellow bill. American flamingo, Lesser flamingo, Chilean flamingo A flamingo nest is just a hollow made of soft mud. Its height is 12 inches (30 cm). This saves the eggs from being washed away by the tide. Their main enemies are big cats and wild dogs. Eggs and chicks are preyed on by birds of prey. Flamingos live 20-30 years in the wild.

Importance to the ecosystem: Flamingos limit the growth of algae and supply oxygen to the water when stirring up mud.

Except for the Andean flamingo, flamingos are not considered an endangered species. Status: Not Endangered (NT)