Flamingo

The word flamingo comes from the Latin word for flame. Egyptians revered the flamingo as the living embodiment of the sun god Ra. Romans considered flamingo tongue to be a delicacy. They can live up to 20 years in the wild and 50 years in captivity. At the Philadelphia Zoo, one flamingo lived 44 years. They can reach up to five feet in height. They weigh about 6-7 pounds. They have a wingspan of between 55 to 65 inches. Males are generally larger than the females. An adult flamingo's legs are longer than its body. There are several species of flamingos: Greater, Lesser, Caribbean, Andean, Chilean, and James'. Lesser flamingos are the smallest of all of the species of flamingos. The Lesser flamingo is the most numerous of all of the species. James' flamingos were once feared to be extinct, but were rediscovered in 1957. James' flamingos only exist in very small numbers in limited areas of South America.

All flamingo species are found in tropical or subtropical areas. Flamingos can be found in the Caribbean, Central America, South America, Africa, Europe and Asia. The Greater Flamingo has the widest territorial distribution. Flamingos are not native to North America. The flamingo is the national bird of the Bahamas. The eye of the flamingo is actually larger than it's brain! Flamingos obtain their pink coloring from the food that they eat which contains carotene. The Philadelphia Zoo has developed a diet for flamingos from carrots. They feed on small invertebrates such as shrimp, algae, insects and diatoms. Flamingos are filter feeders. They draw water into their beak and then force it out with their tongues, trapping the food particles on tiny hairlike lamella. Flamingos prefer to feed in lakes where there are high saline or alkaline salt concentrations. They are sometimes called firebirds because many species prefer to freqent hot, volcanic, mud flats.

Flamingos stand on one leg just like other birds do--it's just more noticeable in the flamingo. They stand on one leg to shift their weight to a more well rested leg.

Flamingos have webbed feet which help to support them on soft mud. They can swim. Their style is much the same as that of a duck or swan. Flamingos can sit down! What we often refer to as their "knees" is actually their ankle, and they fold their legs so that their feet extend backwards. Flamingos can fly. They migrate to find new feeding and breeding areas. They fly in loose flocks in long single lines or in a V-formation. Colonies of tens of thousands of birds are common. They live in large colonies for safety and protection. In zoos, flock size ranges from 2 to 340 flamingos, with an average of 71 birds. Breeding colonies of a few individuals is rare. They need a minimum flock size of 15-20 birds for breeding to take place. Flamingos appear to be monogamous. Flamingos have elaborate courtship displays which include marching, head bobbing, and neck twisting.

Flamingos build their nests out of mud. Their nests range from 12 to 20 inches in diameter. Their nests are cone shaped, with a depression at the top. One oblong shaped egg is layed in the depression.

A two egg clutch is rare. It takes between 28-31 days for the egg to hatch. Both parents participate in nest building and chick rearing. When flamingo chicks are born they are greyish white in color. The chicks have straight beaks which become curved as they mature. Adults feed their chick secreted food from glands located near the upper digestive tract. It is not regurgitated food. At 7-10 days, the chick shows typical feeding movement in the water and can feed themselves in about 60 days. It takes approximately 3 years for the flamingo chick to get its full coloration. Flamingos will not display or breed until they get their full pink coloration. Several species of flamingos have been bred successfully in captivity.

Flamingos will abandon nests because of low flying aircraft, threats from predators and because of low water levels. Flamingos are defenseless. Their main form of protection is to fly away. Flamingos have very few predators because of the harsh habitat it prefers to live in. Most flamingo predators are other species of birds such as the African fish eagle. The flamingos greatest predator is man because it is vulnerable to habitat destruction and exploitation. A gathering of flamingos is called a pat. Flamingos are very social birds. They are also very skittish and will often take flight at sudden movement or noise. Flamingo vocalizations range from nasal honking to grunting to growling. Flamingos generally are very noisy birds. Variations exist in the voices of different species of flamingos. Vocalizations play an important part in keeping the flock together and in ritualized breeding displays.