All information about the flamingo

Types of flamingos

The flamingo, also called Phoenicopteridae, is a family of wading birds. In the past, they were always classified with the storks. This has recently changed and now they have been given their own order. Flamingos can live up to decades. Flamingos are true group animals. A group of flamingos is called a stand, colony or a flamboyance. Such a stand can consist of thousands of flamingos at the same time! There are a total of six species of flamingos:

• Lesser flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor)

• Andean flamingo (Phoenicoparrus andinus)

• James' flamingo (Phoenicoparrus jamesi)

• Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis)

• Pink flamingo, common flamingo or European flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)

• Red flamingo, large flamingo, Caribbean flamingo or Cuban flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber)

The pink / European flamingos live in Safaripark Beekse Bergen. Want to see them up close?

Want to know more about the differences between flamingo species? Ranger Bent tells more about them in this Ranger Request.

Why most flamingos are pink

When you think of a flamingo, you probably think of the color pink. Flamingos just aren't born with this distinctive color that we recognize them by. Flamingo chicks are gray, and later white in color. The older the flamingo gets, the more its feathers take on a pink or red color. This takes a while, though. It is not until around their second year of life that young flamingos are as pink as the adults. So to what does the flamingo owe its color? That is the substance "carotene. Beta-carotene is a pigment that accumulates in the feathers. Color can vary greatly due to differences in diet. For example, the red flamingos from the region of South America are deep red and the European flamingo you may see at your safari in Beekse Bergen, for example, are light pink.

The appearance of flamingos

From its head to its leg, the flamingo has a length of 1.40m to 1.75m. It weighs about 2 to 4 kg. The legs of a flamingo are longer than the body itself. Between the toes, the animal has flippers. The legs are long and thin and have a lump in the middle. You would think that this is a knee, but this is not true! In fact, this lump is the flamingo's ankle.

The beak, or beak, of a flamingo is also very interesting. The beak resembles a banana hanging down and is unique in the animal kingdom. In the upper part of the beak, the flamingo has "lamellae. These lamellae are used as a kind of sieve while eating. A flamingo's eyes are small and pale yellow.

Why does a flamingo stand on one leg?

Flamingos are not to be missed. In a large group you can see them standing in the water. What stands out is that they all stand on 1 leg, this is not because they only have one leg but to save energy. And what is falling? In this way they regulate their body temperature and energy use. The paw that is on the ground cools the body. The paw that is raised warms the body. With two paws in the water, the body temperature becomes too low. So to keep it balanced, flamingos only stand on one leg. This is also useful for when flamingos sink in the mud. Then they have a second leg to hoist themselves up.

Ranger Request goes into even more detail about this particular pose, watch it now!

Flamingo habitat

The habitat of a flamingo is vast all over the world. They are mainly found in warm, exotic areas such as South America, the Caribbean, southern Europe, Africa and the Middle East. They are mostly found on the shores of salty waters because they eat mainly salt-loving animals. A salty habitat is therefore optimal for them. The European flamingos that live in Beekse Bergen are found in the wild in Africa and southern Europe and partially in Asia.

Flamingos have hardly any competition for the food they eat. The animals in the salt water are not hunted by fish because they cannot live there. They also have few natural enemies. This is because their habitat has little vegetation where other animals live. This makes humans the flamingos' biggest enemy.

Reproduction & mating dance flamingos

A flamingo is a monogamous animal. This means that they have only one life partner with whom they have multiple eggs. A flamingo is sexually mature after 5 or 6 years and will have one nest per year with one egg, sometimes two. They breed in large groups along the coastline.

When the breeding season arrives, a special mating dance begins; a courtship dance. During this dance, thousands of flamingos walk together in a big pink parade. They all turn their heads from right to left and stretch their wings to impress. When the male and female have found each other in this courtship, they build a nest of clay. The couple lays 1 or 2 eggs, which they incubate together. After about a month, a small flamingo is born; a gray chick with pink legs and beak. The young remain in the nest for another 5 to 12 days. After 4 to 6 weeks, the flamingos spread their wings to go outside the colony as well.

What do flamingos eat?

Flamingos eat mainly salt-loving animals such as brine shrimp, crustaceans, snails, worms and algae. They huddle together in salty shallow water to chase the animals out of the mud. They then suck the water with their tongues carrying the animals in their mouths. The food sticks to the lamellae in the upper bill and is swallowed with the tongue. This way of eating is very special. The flamingo is the only bird that eats with its beak inverted. That means the plane of the upper beak points downward.

Can flamingos fly?

Flamingos can definitely fly! They have long wings with which they keep themselves stable in the air. Flamingos can swim and fly very well, even though we most often see them standing on one leg in the water. They can even fly so well that they fly between different locations for food or to breed. A flock of flamingos can reach a top speed of up to 56 kilometers per hour in the air! You wouldn't tell because they seem so clumsy and awkward in the air.

Fun facts about the flamingo

• Did you know that you might encounter a distant cousin of the flamingo on the streets every day? Research from 2008 remains that flamingos and pigeons are distant relatives.

• You can also find wild flamingos in the Netherlands. Several flamingo species breed just across the border between the Netherlands and Germany. They probably ended up here after getting lost during bird migration or because they flew away from the zoo.

• The animal got its name "flamingo" from the bright color of its feathers. Flamenco in Spanish and Latin means fire.

• The flamingo food used in zoos consists of specially adapted food so that the flamingos maintain their healthy pink/red color. In fact, without the substance carotene in the food, flamingos would turn white.

Conservation

Fortunately, the status of the flamingo is safe. But unfortunately, many of the species you see in our park are endangered and struggling in their original habitats. Did you know that worldwide more than 4,000 animal species threatened with extinction are endangered? Together we can help them, with big, or small steps. Want to know how? Then click here.

Come to Safaripark Beekse Bergen to see the flamingos in real life!