Already knew: Wonderful flamingos!

Did you know that flamingos are found in South, Central and North America, as well as Europe, Africa and Southwest Asia? Only the pink flamingo is found on the Atlantic coast of Spain and Portugal, as well as the Mediterranean Sea.

Science divides flamingos into six species. Their common characteristics are the more or less intense pink plumage and the special beak. All flamingo species are very similar to each other. They have long, thin legs, a long neck and pink plumage. Standing upright, flamingos are 90 to 155 cm tall.


The pink coloration of the plumage is due to the intake of carotene in the diet. These are contained mainly in planktonic algae. Young birds have gray plumage with no or few pink pigments.


Another characteristic of the flamingos is the downward-bent soap beak, with which they filter plankton from the water or mud - with the upper side down. The edges of the beak are covered with fine lamellae, and together with the tongue they form a filtering apparatus that performs a similar function to the baleen whales' baleen.


Flamingos are good swimmers, but do not often use this ability. Their long legs still allow them to wade at greater depths. In flight, they keep their necks extended, wings are beaten quickly and regularly; gliding phases are rare. They reach flight speeds of 50 to 60 km/h. Flamingos flying in groups usually form energy-saving V-formations. Both before takeoff and after landing, a few running steps are usually taken.

While flamingos need muscle strength to stand on two legs, they can balance on one leg with minimal effort. When one leg is lifted, the body's center of gravity shifts over the other leg. An additional "locking mechanism" provides the necessary stability so that balancing on one leg is possible even while sleeping.


Flamingos are diurnal and nocturnal, with many species feeding both during the day and at night. In the Camargue region of France, breeding birds are diurnal and nocturnal, while non-breeding birds are almost exclusively nocturnal and roost during the day. In Africa, on the other hand, pink flamingos are mostly active during the day, while lesser flamingos are mostly active at night.

All flamingos are very gregarious, with colonies often consisting of thousands or tens of thousands of individuals. The largest are some colonies of the Lesser Flamingo in East Africa, which can include up to one million birds.


Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamingos