Other significant threats to flamingos in the wild include predators, illegal poaching for their feathers, and hunting for their eggs or tongues as a delicacy.The Andean flamingo is the most threatened of all flamingo species due to the loss of its habitat.With veterinary care, a regular diet, and fewer predatory threats, flamingos can live up to 50 years in captivity. Flamingos have a lifespan of 20 to 30 years in the wild.While flamingos are classified as wading birds, like herons, egrets, spoonbills, and cranes, they are genetically closer to grebes, an aquatic diving waterfowl.Flamingos are found worldwide from the Caribbean and South America to Africa, the Middle East, and Europe in wet habitats from freshwater to saltwater, including mudflats, lakes, coastal lagoons, and marshlands.Many flamingos migrate or regularly fly between the best food sources and nesting grounds. Flamingos are strong but rare swimmers and powerful fliers.The bird's knee is close to the body and not visible through the bird's plumage. The backward bending "knee" of a flamingo's leg is the bird's ankle.They will alternate legs to regulate their body temperature. Flamingos often stand on one leg to preserve body heat, tucking the other leg into their warm plumage. An adult flamingo's legs can be 30- to 50-inches long-longer than its entire body.The lesser flamingo is the smallest, reaching 3-feet tall and typically 3 to 6 pounds. The greater flamingo is the largest flamingo species and can measure up to 5-feet tall when standing erect with its head raised.It can take up to three years to achieve mature pink, orange, or red plumage. Flamingo chicks are born gray or white with fluffier plumage to keep them warm.A wild flamingo's diet includes shrimp, plankton, algae, and crustaceans. Carotene is the same pigment that makes tomatoes red and carrots orange. Pink, orange, or red feathers are caused by carotene in their food.
The word "flamingo" comes from the Spanish and Latin word "flamenco," meaning fire, referring to those birds that get fiery-colored feathers (not all do).The Spruce Home Improvement Review Board.
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