It's typical to hear people refer to these birds as "pink" flamingos, which seems redundant; however, depending on their habitat, flamingos' coloration can range from the palest pink (nearly white) to deep crimson. This article explores what makes them pink as well as their eating habits and habitat.
Misconceptions
Most people believe that flamingos are pink because they eat shrimp, and that's true to some extent. It's not the shrimp that provide these birds with their coloration, but rather, the alpha- and beta-carotene found in what they do eat. Their diets are not limited to shrimp alone. Beta-carotene is the same substance that gives certain foods their orange color. Most notable is carrots, for which the compound is named, and it's also found in cantaloupes as well as sweet potatoes and yams. Most of the flamingo's diet is made up of species high in these substances as reflected in their pigment. If humans consume large quantities of beta-carotene, the skin will also take on an orange-ish hue.
Where Flamingos Are Found
Flamingos are found in many parts of the world, although they live in either tropical or subtropical locations. Greater flamingos have the widest global distribution and can be found throughout the Middle East, Mediterranean, India and Africa. As its name implies, the Caribbean flamingo is found throughout the Caribbean as far south as northern parts of South America. Chilean flamingos are found over much of South America, and Africa is home to lesser flamingos. As their diets change with their location, so does their coloration. Caribbean flamingos are thought to have the brightest color while Chilean flamingos have the palest coloration.
Flamingo Diets
The larger flamingos' diets consist of larger invertebrates such as brine flies, shrimp and mollusks while lesser flamingos will primarily get their nutrition from seeds and algae. Flamingos live in areas where there is a lot of mud and water. They might live around lagoons, lakes (which may be far inland or near the shore), mangrove swamps, tidal flats and shallow areas in intertidal zones. Their long legs and long necks allow them to feed in deeper water than other wading birds.
Feeding Habits
Besides feeding in areas that other wading birds don't, the flamingos' method of feeding is also very different. Flamingos are filter-feeders. They will use their webbed feet to agitate mud and loosen food particles into the water. With their heads and beaks upside down, they collect the muddy water and filter it through finger-like projections inside their beaks called lamellae. The food particles, whether they are tiny algae or larger shrimp, are trapped in the lamellae and then ingested by the flamingo. Different species of flamingos have different shaped beaks that enable them to obtain their proper diet.
Flamingo Nests
In addition to using mud to feed, flamingos also use it to build nests. Both male and female birds work to build the nest, which is usually about 12 inches high and is really nothing more than a mound of mud. The birds will use their beaks to draw mud toward their feet, and then using their feet, create a mound. It serves to protect the single large egg from flooding.
Feeding Their Young
Flamingos do not regurgitate food to their young as other birds do. Instead, they secrete a substance called "crop milk" from their upper digestive tract. Its development is stimulated by the hormone prolactin, which is the same hormone that generates milk in lactating mammals. The crop milk is dark red and is high in fat and protein. Both male and female flamingos can feed the chick in this manner and do so while the chick is on the nest, usually for five to 12 days. The chick then begins feed itself in the same manner as its parents, and like its parents, will take on its coloration based on the levels of alpha- and beta-carotene in its diet.
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