Flamingo Facts: Food Turns Feathers Pink
According to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System, (ITIS) There are six kinds of flamingos: Chilean flamingo (greater flamingo), Andean flamingo (lesser flamingo), Chilean flamingo (andean flamingo), James’ (or puna) the flamingo, American the flamingo (or Caribbean).
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The greater flamingo is by far the highest species. It can be 3.9 feet to 4.7 feet (1.25 to 1.45 meters) tall, and as weighty as 7.7 pounds. (3.5 kilograms) according to Sea World. The lesser flamingo weighs less than the largest one, having an overall size of 2.6 feet (80cm) and weighing 5.5 pounds. (2.5 kg). Flamingos’ wingspans are 37 inches (95cm) and 59 inches (150cm).
Habitat
Diet
According Sea World, Flamingos eat larvae and small fish, as well blue-green and red-green algae, and crustaceans.
The pink hue of Flamingos is due to their diet, which is rich in beta carotene. This organic chemical has an orange reddish hue, also known as a reddish. ) Similar carotenoids with pigments are found in the crustaceans and Mollusks that flamingos consume.
The levels of carotenoid in their diets can vary widely across the globe. This is why American Flamingos are typically bright orange and red, however, flamingos from the drought-stricken Lake Nakuru in central Kenya tend to be paler pink.
If a flamingo had to cease eating foods containing carotenoids, its feathers will develop a lighter shade, and its reddish feathers will eventually begin to melt. Feathers that have gone through molting have lost their pink colour.
The food that a flamingo can eat is determined by what type of beak it is equipped with. The bill of Andean, James’, and Lesser Flamingos are referred to as a “deep-keeled” bill. They feed mostly on algae. The American, Chilean, and Chilean Flamingos are larger and sport a more of a keeled bill that permits them to consume tiny fish, invertebrates , and even insects.
Flamingos consume their food by moving the lake’s bottom using their feet and then diving into the mud and water to catch their dinner.
Habits
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Flamingos are monogamous, according to Sea World. Males will build nests from dirt mounds, and the females will lay only one egg.
The eggs are larger than larger chicken eggs, measuring 3 to 3.5 inches (78-90 millimeters in length) and between 4 and 5 pounds (115-140 grams). It could take between 27 and 31 days the egg to hatch. The chick that will emerge will weigh 2.5 to 3.0 pounds (73-90 grams) in weight. The chicks are mature between 3 and 5 years old.
Baby flamingos are grey or white. In the beginning of their lives, they’ll become pink. Flamingos are capable of living between 20 and 30 years in the wild and as long as 50 years at the Zoo.
Other information
The fossil evidence suggests that the species that developed into flamingos is very old , and it was born about 30 million years ago. This was before several other orders of avian species had evolved, as in Sea World.
It’s unclear why flamingos stand on their feet. However, it has been theorized that keeping one of their feet out of cold water aids in preserving the body’s warmth. They also believe that it is the ideal position to unwind in.
While flamingos are considered to be birds of the tropical region they’re still able to thrive in cold areas provided there’s plenty of food and water available.
It is believed that more than 1 million flamingos flock to East Africa each year, making it the largest collection of birds that are known.
