Birds · Phoenicopteriformes · Phoenicopteridae

Chilean Flamingo

Phoenicopterus chilensis

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

A flamingo with pale salmon-pink plumage, darker towards the tail. The bill is large and curved, pale at the base and black at the tip. Its legs are greyish with intensely red joints and webbing, a feature that identifies it at once against the Andean flamingos. The eyes are yellow.

Weight

2.5 kg – 3.5 kg

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Moderate

Estimated population

The Chilean population is thought to be around 30,000 individuals, most of them on the altiplano in the north of the country

Carnivore Diurnal Colonial Near Threatened Bird

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Fun facts

It is the flamingo species that lives and breeds furthest south in the world.
It needs a colony of at least 15-18 individuals to breed successfully: they all mate at the same time so that the clutches coincide.
It spends far more time preening than other flamingos, because the climate where it lives is a good deal colder than the Caribbean.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Brackish or semi-brackish lakes and lagoons, as well as coastal lagoons, intertidal marshes, lagoons behind sandbars, estuaries and shallow bays. From sea level up to 4,800 m. On freshwater lakes only temporarily or on migration
Size at birth: A white egg of about 93 x 52 mm
Sexual maturity: At around 6 years
Gestation / incubation: 26-31 days, with both parents incubating
Litter / clutch size: A single white egg. The chicks leave the nest at 5-8 days and gather in crèches. For breeding to succeed the colony needs at least 15-18 individuals, which synchronise their laying

Sources consulted: IUCN Red List; SIB - Parques Nacionales de Argentina; Ministerio del Medio Ambiente de Chile (RCE, 15.º proceso); Museo de Historia Natural de Concepción; Couve, Vidal y Ruiz 2016; Marconi et al. 2011; Molina 1782