Saturday, December 20, 2008

Why the Pink or the Reddish Color?

Inhabitants of warm tropical weather, Flamingos are the most recognizable birds within their class with their vibrant feathers, long legs, and hook like beaks. Their diets are high in beta-carotene, which give them their pink or reddish pigments. Their diets usually consist of blue green algae, mollusks, and crustaceans.

They gather their food in a way that is distinct from other birds. Flamingos feed by sucking water and mud in the front of its bill and pumping it out again of the sides. They have filters that trap shrimp and other creatures for them to eat.

They live in large groups. Tens of thousands of birds can live together. They breed in pairs. However, it’s interesting to note that the birds within a single colony will breed at the same time, so the young will be raised at the same time. They live in mud mounds that are usually 12 inches high. The nest is created by the bird’s beak. They draw mud to their feet since they lay a single large egg that is incubated by both parents.

Flamingos need to run to get speed in order to fly. In order to fly, they must flap their wings continuously. They often fly in large flocks. Flamingos tend to have few predators as they live in places that are inhospitable such as mangrove lagoons, inter tidal zones, tidal flats, and lakes. Habitat areas vary from inland to the various areas of the ocean.