The flamingos feed on larvae, small insects, red and green algae, mollusks, crustaceans and small fish. Because of their ability to eat both plants and meat they become omnivores.
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Flamingos are pink because the algae they eat are loaded with beta carotene, an organic chemical that contains an orange-red pigment. (Beta carotene is also present in many plants, but especially tomatoes, spinach, pumpkins, sweet potatoes and, of course, carrots). The mollusks and crustaceans eat the same carotenoids.
The level of carotene (organic pigment) in their food varies in different regions of the world, which is why American flamingos are usually bright red and orange, while the pink ones The drought-affected little crane of Lake Nakuru in central Kenya has a lighter pink color.
If a flamingo stops eating food containing carotenoids, its new feathers will begin to grow with a much lighter color, and its red feathers will eventually fall off. The molting hair loses its pale pink color.
What a flamingo eats depends on the type of beak it has. Less than that, the flamingos of James and Andean have what is called a short beak, which feeds mainly on algae. Large flamingos, Chile and the US have a shorter beak, allowing them to eat insects, invertebrates and small fish.
To eat, the flamingos will stir the lake bottom with their feet and drop their beaks into the mud and water to find food.
Flamingo groups are called flocks. The flamingos work together to protect each other from predators and care for their young.
It is believed that flamingos are “monogamous”. Once mating, they will stay with that partner. A group of flamingos will mate at the same time so that all the chicks will hatch at the same time. The pairs will nest in the mud and the females will lay an egg at the same time.
Each egg is slightly larger than a large chicken egg, 78 to 90 mm long and 115 to 140 grams long. The eggs will take 27 to 31 days to hatch and the new hatchlings will weigh only 73 to 90 g.
Baby flamingos are gray or white in color. They will turn pink in the first few years of life. Flamingos live 20 to 30 years in the wild or up to 50 years in a zoo.
Fossil evidence indicates that flamingos evolved a long time ago and existed about 30 million years ago.
It is not known why flamingos usually stand on one leg, but it is hypothesized that keeping one of their legs out of cold water helps them retain body heat. It also seems to be a comfortable resting position for it.
Although flamingos are believed to be tropical birds, they can also live and thrive in cold environments as long as they have access to plenty of water and food.
In East Africa, more than 1 million flamingos have been known to gather together, forming the largest known flock.
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