Birds · Phoenicopteriformes · Phoenicopteridae

Greater Flamingo

Phoenicopterus roseus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

Its distinctive pink is not innate but comes from the carotenoid pigments in its diet of crustaceans and algae; the chicks hatch grey.

Weight

2 kg – 4.5 kg

Size

1.1 m – 1.5 m

Lifespan

35 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Fun facts

Its pink colour comes from the carotenoids in its diet; the chicks hatch grey.
It can drink water at close to boiling point from geysers.
It filters small crustaceans and algae from water and mud with its curved bill.
alimentaciónIt can feed with its head upside down and its bill inverted, filtering water and mud through internal structures much like those of filter-feeding whales.

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - pneumatised bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Brackish and saline coastal lagoons of Africa, southern Europe, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent
Birth weight: 85 - 102 grams at hatching
Size at birth: Covered in grey down at hatching; the characteristic curved bill does not develop until 2 weeks old
Sexual maturity: 5-6 years
Gestation / incubation: 27-32 days
Litter / clutch size: 1 egg per clutch (rarely 2)
Lifespan in captivity: Documented cases of up to 60-83 years in captivity (one bird at Adelaide Zoo died at an estimated 83-95 years)