June 1, 2025, 6:04 am | Read time: 4 minutes
They have long legs, often stand on one leg in the water, and sport pink feathers: flamingos. But what exactly causes their coloration? You can read about this and other fascinating facts at PETBOOK.
Flamingos live in large colonies in shallow salt lakes, lagoons, and wetlands in South, Central, and North America, Africa, and Southwest Asia, with one species also found in Europe. They are fascinating animals with complex social behavior, synchronized courtship dances, and extraordinary parenting. PETBOOK has compiled these and other exciting facts about the long-legged birds for you.
1. Flamingos Are Not Born Pink
Their iconic color is not innate but “acquired”! Flamingo chicks are born with light gray-white feathers. Their typical pink coloration develops only when they regularly consume food containing carotenoids. This substance, also found in carrots, is responsible for the color. Flamingos usually turn pink because they eat many crustaceans and the Dunaliella algae, both of which contain this substance. It is converted in the birds’ liver and eventually deposited in their feathers. When a flamingo loses feathers, they quickly lose their pink color.
2. Standing on One Leg Can Be Essential for Flamingos
People often wonder about the one-legged stance of flamingos and whether it is tiring for them. On the contrary, it is comfortable for them because their knees lock when the leg is extended, requiring no muscle effort to stand. This allows them to remain in this position effortlessly for long periods and even sleep.
The one-legged stance is not only comfortable but can also be essential for the birds. Their legs lack feathers to keep them warm. In cold temperatures, wind, or cold water, the bird can quickly become chilled. To prevent this, it tucks one leg into its warm feathers and regularly switches its standing leg. This mainly occurs when the birds stand in water for extended periods. On land, however, they often stand on both legs. 1
3. Pink Crop Milk
Flamingo chicks are fed crop milk by their parents during the first weeks of life. Both male and female flamingos produce this nutrient-rich liquid, which contains proteins, fats, and carotenoids. The crop milk is produced in the mucous membrane of the upper digestive tract and has a pink to red color due to the carotenoids. During feeding, it often appears as if the feeding flamingos are bleeding, but it is merely the colored crop milk being released.
4. Little Sexual Dimorphism in Flamingos
In many animals, females differ visually from males, such as in body color or size. For example, in ducks, the drake often appears in bright colors, while females are in plain brown. In flamingos, however, the so-called sexual dimorphism is barely pronounced. Both males and females are similarly colored, with males differing only slightly in body size.
5. Beak with a Built-in Filter
Flamingos have a sieve-like beak. With it, they “sieve”–or filter–food from the water. Lamellae inside the beak assist them in this process. To feed, they first swing their half-open beak sideways through the water. Their tongue moves back and forth to draw water into and out of the beak. This process allows water with food particles to enter the beak’s interior. When the water is pressed out by the tongue, the inner lamellae, which were horizontal during inflow, stand up and prevent the food particles from flowing out with the water.
Also interesting: This bird uses its beak like a sewing needle
6. Flamingos Live in Large Colonies
Flamingos live and breed in large colonies. Often, hundreds to thousands of birds live together within a colony. They are typical colonial breeders and usually do so in close proximity to each other. Their respective breeding and nesting territories are generally very small. For raising their young, they form so-called crèches or nurseries.
7. Flamingos Are Mostly Monogamous
Flamingos are monogamous during a breeding season, often even beyond that. The egg is incubated alternately by the male and female. The parents also share the responsibility of raising the chick.
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8. Flamingos Have Mastered Various Choreographies
Anyone who observes the birds for a longer period will likely witness one of their many choreographies, which they often perform together with their colonies. Zoologist Marvin Philip Kahl documented these as individual elements of display behavior in a 1975 study. He describes, among other things, these elements:
- “Alert posture” – The flamingos stretch their necks vertically. This occurs when they sense danger or are startled.
- “Head flagging” – The birds stretch their necks and point their beaks upward, swinging their heads back and forth. The longer they do this, the faster they become. This behavior usually follows the “Alert Posture.”
- “Marching” – Here, a large group of hundreds to thousands of flamingos marches with outstretched chests and necks. They abruptly change direction.
- “False feeding” – This behavior occurs during “Marching.” The flamingos dip their heads into the water before changing direction, mimicking feeding movements before proceeding to the next behavior. 2