Flamingos are one of the most ancient birds living on Earth.
There are six species of flamingos belonging to the Phoenicopteridae family. The flamingo's appearance is distinguishable by their pale pink to dark pink feathers, long legs, long necks and curvy body shape. Flamingos live in the subtropical and tropical climates of Central and South America, India, the Galapagos Islands, Africa and the West Indies. The main diet of flamingos consists of blue algae, brine shrimp, brine flies, larvae, mollusks and other aquatic organisms.
American Flamingos
Some scientists have separated the American flamingo into two different species: the Caribbean flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) and the greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus). The American flamingo is located in Caribbean coastal areas including Cuba, the Yucatan peninsula and the Bahamas. The American Flamingo is also located in northern South America, southern United States, Africa and the Middle East. American flamingos can grow up to 5 feet long and have a 5-foot wingspan. They weigh 5 to 6 lbs., with female American flamingos 20 percent smaller than their male counterparts. They live in areas of shallow salt water, coastal lagoons and saline lakes. American flamingos have pinkish red feathers and their secondary feathers are black. American flamingos have distinctive bills that curve downward; they are beige at the base of the bill, pink in the middle portion and black at the tip of the bill. American flamingos in the wild eat algae, crustaceans, insects, diatoms and mollusks. An American flamingo's lifespan is 50 years.
Lesser Flamingos
Lesser flamingos are the smallest of the six known birds in the flamingo family. Lesser flamingos grow up to 3 feet tall and 31 inches in length. Lesser flamingos are located in Africa, particularly in the southern region of the Sahara desert and in India, in coastal mud flats and alkaline salt lakes. Lesser flamingos' backs and wings are mottled with red instead of the pink found in other flamingos. Their bills have a red tip and are dark red in color and their legs are dark gray, darker than any other bird in the flamingo family. Lesser flamingos in the wild mostly eat blue algae but may eat unicellular organisms and small crustaceans. Lesser flamingos use their feet to stir mud to find small aquatic animals and plants to feed on. Lesser flamingos' lifespan is between 40 and 50 years.
Chilean Flamingos
Chilean flamingos are located in the South American countries of Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and Peru. Chilean flamingos are sometimes found in Brazil and Uruguay in winter climates. Chilean flamingos are 4 to 5 feet tall, weigh between 5 and 7 lbs. and live in lagoons, salt lakes, estuaries and coastal mud flats. Chilean flamingos are pale pink with black and pink feathers. Chilean flamingos have yellowish gray or yellow legs that have pink bands around their joints and pinkish webbed feet. Chilean flamingos' bills bend downward and are part black and part white. Chilean flamingos feast on algae, shrimp, crustaceans, mollusks, diatoms, larvae, small fish and brine flies. Chilean flamingos have a lifespan of 50 years.
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