![]() Chilean Flamingo Photo - nwtransplantĪs its name suggests, the Chilean flamingo lives in Chile, though they are also found in parts of Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador and southeast Brazil. The American flamingo can grow to nearly 60 inches and males can weigh over 6 pounds, making them the largest flamingo species in the Americas. In South America, the America Flamingo lives along the northern coasts of Colombia and Venezuela as well as in the Galapagos Islands. It’s predominantly found in the Caribbean as well as in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and occasionally along the southern coasts of Texas and Florida. The American flamingo is the only flamingo species found naturally in North America. American Flamingo Photo - Stray_dog_photos After the first two weeks, the chicks leave the protection of their parents and join other young flamingos in a large group. Pigeons, doves, and some types of penguins also feed their young with crop milk. Both males and females produce this milky substance, which resembles cottage cheese. For the first couple weeks of a flamingo’s life, it feeds off of crop milk, a nutritious secretion produced in the upper digestion track. Mating pairs produce one egg each year and they raise the chick together. Though flamingos are born with a straight bill, it curves gradually with age.Īll flamingos are monogamous. They suck water and food through their bill while a unique filtration system expels water and sediment. When feeding, flamingo’s thrust their heads under water, turning it upside down to scoop up dinner. Flamingos’ long S-shaped neck is for more than just show. There are also less evident similarities. Their webbed feet allow them to “run” across the water as they gain speed to lift into the air. The long legs give them the advantage of wading out further than most other birds. Flamingos are wading birds and are typically seen standing in shallow water, looking for their next meal. The second prominent physical feature of a flamingo is its long stick-like legs. When they’re born, flamingos are actually white or grey. The most obvious being the pink feathers: the color is caused by carotenoid pigments found in the birds’ diet of plankton, algae, shrimp, and crustaceans. Regardless of geographic location, all flamingos have a few things in common. The other four live in the Americas, and three of these species are found only in South America. Yet despite the numbers, Africa is home to only two of the six types of flamingos in the world. This article is part of our series on animals in South America.įlamingos are frequently associated with Africa where the largest amount of these gangly pink birds flock. Dig Deeper SeptemSouth America’s flamboyance of flamingos By: SA Explorer
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