These three species can often be found in the same areas, and will even live in flocks together. The Chilean flamingo, Andean flamingo and James’s flamingo all live in South America, with the Chilean flamingo occupying the largest range. It is arguably the pinkest of all the flamingo species. The Caribbean flamingo, also called the American flamingo, breeds in South America and the Caribbean, although its range can stretch to the southern regions of Florida. They can be found in Africa, southern Europe, the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East. In total, there are six flamingo species: the greater flamingo, Chilean flamingo, Caribbean flamingo, lesser flamingo, Andean flamingo and James’s flamingo.Īs its name suggests, the greater flamingo, with a height of 110 to 150cm and a weight of up to 4kg, is the largest of the bunch, and is also the most widespread. And you can use that to attract a mate in a courtship ritual,” says Rose. “As a flamingo, the pinker you are, the healthier and better quality you are – it’s a direct reflection of how good you are at foraging. Interestingly, while flamingos are pink primarily as a by-product of their diet, their colour takes on a special significance during mating season. “It’s also worth noting this only works with pink pigments – you can’t feed a flamingo blue food dye and hope it turns sapphire, for instance!” A flamingo chick with its pink parent Â© Getty Images “Their skin, mucous membranes, egg yolks and even fat are stained pink and similar colours like orange,” says Rose. It’s these pigments that eventually stain a flamingo’s feathers – and that’s not all. So, how are flamingos able to eat these foods without falling seriously ill? Thanks to their specialised metabolism, the birds are able to process these harmful chemicals in the liver, breaking them down into functional components and pigments.

All of these can be dangerous to many other animals as they contain toxic chemicals called carotenoids,” explains Dr Paul Rose, zoologist at the University of Exeter. Within this water, however, is an untapped resource of food like crustaceans, cyanobacteria and diatom algae. “Flamingos tend to live in inhospitable, relatively remote wetlands – lakes so alkaline in pH it could burn human flesh off the bones. Well, not at birth, anyway.Īs shown in BBC’s Life In Colour, young flamingos flaunt grey/white colour feathers and only develop their pinkish hue after delving into a diet of brine shrimp and blue-green algae – food that would likely kill other animals. Ever wondered why flamingos are pink? We hate to shoot you down so soon, but they’re not really.

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