De flamingo (of Phoenicopterus roseus) is een forse trekvogel met een groot verspreidingsgebied in Europa, het Midden-Oosten, Azië en Afrika. Hij leeft in de lagunes en op de wadden van landen met een gematigd of warm klimaat. Met zijn snavel wroet hij in de modder en filtert er algen, ongewervelde dieren en zaadjes uit.
Latin Name
Phoenicopterus roseus
Featured
false
Slug
greater-flamingo
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Animal Facts
Flamingos develop their pink colouration from the food they eat; they accumulate carotenoid pigments in their feathers from the algae and invertebrates they feed upon.
Parent flamingos can identify their chick's cry from within a crowd of thousands of other flamingos.
Flamingos are born with straight beaks; the beak starts to curve when they are 1 month old and allows them to filter feed.
Flamingos often stand on one leg and also do this when sleeping. This is believed to be to prevent heat loss; only one leg is exposed to cold air or water.
The earliest forms of flamingos are seen 40 million years ago in the fossil record.