Did you know … flamingos take the pink colour from their food?
Their body metabolises the pigments turning their feathers pink
Do you like pink? I do! It has always been my favourite colour. I love any pink animal on the planet, with flamingos being an obvious choice.
I have found flamingos fascinating creatures since the first time I saw a stand of flamingos in real life back when I was about seven or eight years old and went with my family on a holiday to Acapulco, Mexico.
A stand of flamingos is how they are called collectively when going about their everyday activities, such as feeding.
Flamingos are not just beautiful but incredibly interesting creatures; some facts about these birds may surprise you.
To begin with, their characteristic pink colour is a by-product of their diet of algae, prawns (shrimps, for the Americans), and crustaceans.
Flamingos live in wetland habitats, which are packed with with blue-green algae which are actually red or orange in colour due to a chemical known as beta carotene.
This chemical has a red-orange pigment known as carotenoid.
Enzymes in the flamingo’s digestive system break down the beta carotene and the red-orange pigments are absorbed by the fat in its liver. These fats, which are deposited in the flamingo’s feathers and skin, make the flamingos gradually become pink as they grow.
Because carotenoid levels in algae and crustaceans vary across the world, the colouration of flamingos vary as well.
The species found in the Caribbean are bright red or orange, whilst the flamingos in drier areas tend to be paler pink in colour.
How baby flamingos get their pink colour? Baby flamingos, apart from cute, are born with white and slightly grey feathers. Yes, baby flamingos are not pink. They need their parents help to become a shade of pink.
So, how do baby flamingos become pink?
Both flamingo parents produce crop milk in their throat which later comes out of their mouths when they have to feed their chicks.
The hormone prolactin stimulates the production of crop milk in flamingos, like it does in humans.
However, the crop milk they produce is bright pink and sometimes red depending on the species.
This bright pink crop milk contains the pigment that will give the chicks their distinctive pink colour until they are able to feed themselves.
During the feeding time, the flamingo parents lose their pink colour since they have to use most of what they produce to pass it on to their chicks.
If you see a white flamingo it means it has lost its pink pigments during the intense breeding season and these white flamingos will not join in the mating dance ritual.
After breeding season, both male and female flamingo parents are left exhausted, indeed.
Baby flamingos get the exact same pink hue as their parents have.
Watch the video to see how flamingo parents feed their babies:
The mystery of the flamingo courtship group dance
During the courtship season, flamingos’ extraordinary pink colour takes on a special significance.
Flamingos will pair off within the courtship group routine based on who is the best dancer and who has the greatest pink colour, which signs their ability to foraging for great food to provide for the flamingo chicks.
The flock will dance for one month, feeding at the same time as they move in the dance.
After a month, all the flamingos will be in pairs and ready to mate.
Watch the flamingo courtship dance in this short video narrated by British biologist and natural historian Sir David Attenborough for a BBC documentary:
It’s not just the beauty that the colour pink gives to flamingos. It’s how they get the pink pigment, how the colour pink plays a role in mating and in the flamingo society. Observing the behaviour of these amazingly beautiful birds is a source of joy.
About the Creator
Susan Fourtané
Susan Fourtané is a Science and Technology Journalist, a professional writer with over 18 years experience writing for global media and industry publications. She's a member of the ABSW, WFSJ, Society of Authors, and London Press Club.
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Comments (5)
Interesting facts Susan! Thanks 4 sharing! I learned a lot about the lives of flamingos! 🌸
It make perfect sense that a group of flamingos is called a stand. They are fascinating birds and I've learned a lot from your story, Susan, especially about their feeding practices.
Flock of flamingoes is called splendor. Seen a lot in San Diego zoo. Two varieties. Mothers feeding the babies, may be the crop milk.
Flamingos are fascinating fowls <3
Huge bird lover here, Susan, and I loved this! I had no idea how flamingos get their pink color, so thanks for teaching me something new. Also, the videos were wonderful. Watching these amazing birds dance made me think they are quite fortunate to have their very own production. Indeed, they put on a splendid show!