# Greater Flamingo (*Phoenicopterus roseus*) The Greater Flamingo is the largest of all flamingo species. They are famous for their vibrant pink color and graceful stance. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Salt flats and lagoons - **Also known as:** Flamingo, Pink Flamingo ![Greater Flamingo](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424644/objects/4643.jpg) ## Appearance The Greater Flamingo is the largest flamingo species, characterized by its pale pink to whitish plumage with bright pink wings and black primary and secondary flight feathers. It has incredibly long, slender pink legs and a distinctive large, downward-curved pale pink beak with a black tip. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Phoenicopteriformes - **Family:** Phoenicopteridae - **Genus:** Phoenicopterus ## Interesting facts - Flamingo chicks are born fluffy white; their famous pink color develops later from their diet! - Flamingos build tall, cone-shaped nests from mud, resembling mini volcanoes to protect their single egg. - They can drink boiling hot or extremely salty water because their bodies have adapted to harsh environments! - What look like backward knees on a flamingo are actually its ankles! Its real knees are hidden higher up. ## Special abilities - **Filter-Feeding Beak:** Greater Flamingo can filter tiny food from water because its unique, bent beak works like a sieve. - **Saltwater Tolerance:** Greater Flamingo has special glands that help them remove excess salt from their bodies, allowing them to thrive in salty lakes. - **One-Legged Stand:** Greater Flamingo can stand on one leg to conserve body heat and reduce muscle fatigue, especially in cold water. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 120-150 cm - **Wingspan:** 140-170 cm - **Weight:** 2-4 kg - **Lifespan:** 30-50 years - **Speed:** 60 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1 - **Incubation:** 27-31 days - **Migration Distance:** 5000 km ## Diet & Feeding They filter tiny foods from water with their special beaks to get their vibrant pink color! - **Age differences:** Chicks are fed nutrient-rich 'crop milk' by their parents before learning to filter-feed themselves. - **Primary Foods:** Brine shrimp, Algae, Diatoms, Small insects, Larvae - **Foraging Method:** Filter feeding ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** Brine Shrimp (*Artemia salina*) — Flamingos filter these tiny crustaceans from water. - **Eats:** Green Algae (*Dunaliella salina*) — This algae provides pigments for their pink feathers. - **Eaten by:** Pallas's Fish Eagle (*Haliaeetus leucoryphus*) — Preys on flamingo eggs and young chicks. - **Eaten by:** Golden Jackal (*Canis aureus*) — Can raid nests for eggs and snatch chicks. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [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. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Thermoregulating](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/thermoregulating): Thermoregulating organisms maintain a stable internal body temperature despite fluctuations in the external environment. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Greater Flamingo? 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 Greater Flamingo? 120-150 cm ### What is Greater Flamingo's wingspan? 140-170 cm ### How much does Greater Flamingo weigh? 2-4 kg ### How long does Greater Flamingo live? 30-50 years ### How fast can Greater Flamingo move? 60 km/h ### What does Greater Flamingo eat? They filter tiny foods from water with their special beaks to get their vibrant pink color! ### Where is Greater Flamingo usually found? Salt flats and lagoons ## Where to spot - [Zoo de la Palmyre](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/zoo-de-la-palmyre) — Nouvelle-Aquitaine, FR · Zoo - [Fort Worth Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-worth-zoo) — Texas, US · Zoo - [Zoo de Cerza](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/zoo-de-cerza) — Normandy, FR · Zoo - [Selwo Aventura](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/selwo-aventura) — Andalusia, ES · Zoo - [Jungle Island](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/jungle-island) — Florida, US · Zoo - [Tierpark Chemnitz](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/tierpark-chemnitz) — Sachsen, DE · Zoo [View all places to see Greater Flamingo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/greater-flamingo) ## 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: [Greater Flamingo: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/greater-flamingo)