Species Data
Common Name
American flamingo
Scientific Name
Phoenicopterus ruber
Spanish Name
Flamenco común
Conservation Status
Least Concern
Endemic/Native/Introduced
Native
Size
130- 145 cm height
Average Lifespan
25 years
Predators
None
Food
Omnivore (shrimps, insect larvae, micro-organisms, algae)
Animal Class
Bird
Species Overview
The flamingo’s iconic pink colouration comes from a pigment which they consume when feeding in saline coastal lagoons. They feed with their head upside-down and use their specially adapted beak to filter out their microscopic prey. Nests are built in small colonies alongside the coastal lagoons and consist of a cone of mud around 20-25 cm high on which they lay a single egg. Chicks have straight beaks to start off with but these begin to curl at about three weeks old.
For further information you can visit: