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Greater flamingo
"When you look at a greater flamingo from a distance, they appear to be completely pink. But when you look closely, you can see that their flight feathers are black. You usually can’t see those black feathers unless the flamingo spreads its wings."
Discover in real lifeFood
small aquatic animals such as crayfish and shrimp
Lifetime
30 years
Weight
4 kilos
Number of eggs
1 to 6 eggs
Incubation time
1 month
IUCN Status
safe
EEP?
no
Flaming Birds
The word flamingo comes from the Latin word ‘flammans’, which means ‘flaming’. The pink colour of the flamingo comes from the natural colourants their food. Newborn flamingos have a grey colour. It takes about two years for them to become fully pink. How brightly pink a flamingo’s feathers become, depends on the species.
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Theme area: Details Matter
You can see the Greater flamingo in the ‘Details Matter’ themed area. Here, you can see things that aren’t immediately obvious: patterns, adaptations and clever forms of camouflage or deterrence.