The flamingo is a large wading bird with pink and red feathers that help it stand out in its natural habitat.
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The word flamingo comes from the Spanish word flamengo, an earlier form of flamenco. These words were derived from the Latin word flamma, which means 'a flame'.
The feather colors on different species of flamingos vary from pale pink to crimson or vermilion.
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The brightest plumage of crimson or vermilion belongs to the Caribbean flamingo. The Chilean flamingo is pale pink. The source of its fiery hues are its diet rich in alpha and beta-carotene.
It feeds on blue-green and red algae, diatoms, larval, and adult forms of small insects, crustaceans, molluscs, and small fish.
Chicks are born with gray or white plumage, that gradually turns pink over the period of one, two, or even three years.
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These birds live in both saline and freshwater habitat such as lagoons, estuaries, mangrove swamps, mud flats, and large shallow coastal or inland lakes tidal flats, and sandy islands above the low tide mark.
Flamingos are found in warm, shallow, watery regions on many continents.
Their habitats include estuaries and saline or alkaline lakes in Africa, Asia, Europe, North, South and Central America.
The Caribbean flamingo can be found on the north coast of South America, the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, and a number of Caribbean islands.
Sizes differ in species, with the greater flamingo measuring between 36 to 50 inches in height, with a wingspan of about 60 inches, and weigh an average of 8.75 lbs.
Flamingos have long sinuous necks, slender legs, and black-tipped bills that achieve a downward bend upon maturity.
Flamingos communicate by calling to one another and have keen hearing. They are excellent swimmers, gliding effortlessly across water surfaces and standing in soft mud because to their webbed toes.
Flamingos are known for their curious, inverted head feeding technique.
The flamingo uses its long legs and webbed feet to agitate the mud and water, then it tilts its head downward and uses its inverted bills to suck the dirt and water away.
Then shake their head from side to side, expelling the excess mud and water, and keeping back the plankton, tiny fish and fly larvae.
Flamingos are sociable birds that form big flocks or colonies to protect themselves from predators, especially when feeding underwater. They nest in groups since raising young is a social endeavor.
Male and females share equal responsibility in parenting. Both partners pile up mud to build a nest, in which the female lays one egg. After about 30 days of incubating, which the to-be-parents take turns to do, the egg hatches to produce a chick.
The parents regurgitate food which is fed to the baby, and both mother and father secrete a milk-like substance that provides their young with proper nourishment. This goes on till the baby's beak has developed fully, and it is capable of hunting for food.
The group rituals that flamingos perform prior to, during, and following breeding are well-known. Hundreds of birds in a flock perform synchronized postures and movements as part of their breeding behavior.
This may include only one display, or an often seen sequence of head-flag, wing-salute, and twist-preen. They are commonly witnessed preening, which takes up a considerable amount of time everyday.
The purpose of the preening is to use the bill to spread oil from a gland near the base of their tail through their feathers, thus waterproofing them.
A breathtaking sight of the natural world is a flock of flamingos taking to flight. They pick up speed by running prior to taking off, and flap their wings almost constantly during flight. A flock can reach 31 to 37 mph.
Flamingo migration patterns have shifted as a result of environmental changes and global warming. They can travel enormous distances, covering more than 300 miles in a single night.
Human encroachment is destroying flamingo habitat, putting them at risk. This affects water depth, quality, and salinity, posing serious hazards to these birds.