# Flamingos (*Phoenicopteridae*) Flamingos are beautiful pink birds that love to stand on one leg! They are known for their long necks and legs, and they often live in big groups called colonies. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Flamingos](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426746/objects/4017.jpg) ## Appearance The Flamingos have long, slender pink legs, a flexible neck, and a large, uniquely curved pink or reddish bill. Their vibrant plumage ranges from pale pink to deep carmine, contrasting with black flight feathers. These tall, elegant birds are instantly recognizable by their striking color. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Phoenicopteriformes - **Family:** Phoenicopteridae ## Interesting facts - Flamingo chicks are born white or gray and don't get their pink color until they are adults! - Flamingos often choose to live in lakes so salty or alkaline that very few other animals can survive there! - Parents feed their chicks "crop milk," a special red liquid they make themselves, full of nutrients! - What looks like a flamingo's knee is actually its ankle! Their real knee is hidden by feathers! ## Special abilities - **Upside-Down Filter:** Flamingos can feed with their heads upside-down because their unique, curved beaks filter tiny food from water. - **Extreme Habitat Adaptor:** Flamingos can survive in super-salty or alkaline lakes because their bodies have specialized glands to excrete excess salt. - **Warm-Legged Stand:** Flamingos often stand on one leg because tucking the other helps them conserve body heat in chilly water. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 90-150 cm - **Wingspan:** 140-170 cm - **Weight:** 1.5-4 kg - **Lifespan:** 30-50 years - **Speed:** 60 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1-2 - **Incubation:** 28-31 days - **Migration Distance:** 1000 km ## Diet & Feeding Flamingos are filter-feeders, straining tiny algae, larvae, and brine shrimp from water. - **Primary Foods:** phytoplankton, zooplankton, Artemia salina, insect larvae, diatoms, blue-green algae - **Foraging Method:** Filter feeding ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Golden Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/golden-eagle) (*Aquila chrysaetos*) — Preys on nests and young birds. - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — Preys on eggs and chicks. - **Eats:** Brine Shrimp (*Artemia salina*) — A primary food source. - **Eats:** Blue-green algae (*Spirulina platensis*) — Key food for pigmentation. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch flamingos from a distance and do not try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Flamingos? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Flamingos? 90-150 cm ### What is Flamingos's wingspan? 140-170 cm ### How much does Flamingos weigh? 1.5-4 kg ### How long does Flamingos live? 30-50 years ### How fast can Flamingos move? 60 km/h ### What does Flamingos eat? Flamingos are filter-feeders, straining tiny algae, larvae, and brine shrimp from water. ### Where is Flamingos usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Cape May County Park & Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cape-may-county-park-and-zoo) — New Jersey, US · Zoo - [Henry Vilas Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/henry-vilas-zoo) — Wisconsin, US · Zoo - [SeaWorld San Diego](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/seaworld-san-diego) — California, US · Aquarium - [Busch Gardens Tampa](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/busch-gardens-tampa) — Florida, US · Zoo - [Dickerson Park Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/dickerson-park-zoo) — Missouri, US · Zoo - [Los Angeles Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/los-angeles-zoo) — California, US · Zoo [View all places to see Flamingos](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/flamingos) ## Watch - [Play video: Flamingos](https://www.snappit.app/videos/flamingos) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/watch?v=dlgb7ETmfAU) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Flamingos: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/flamingos)