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Flamingo Facts & Worksheets

Large and sociable wading birds, flamingos are known for their pink or reddish plumage, long legs with webbed feet, and thin flexible necks.

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Large and sociable wading birds, flamingos are known for their pink or reddish plumage, long legs with webbed feet, and thin flexible necks. Under the genus Phoenicopterus, flamingos have six extant species distributed throughout America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

See the fact file below for more information on the flamingos or alternatively, you can download our 21-page Flamingo worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

ETYMOLOGY

  • The term “flamingo” is derived from the Portuguese or Spanish word flamengo, meaning “flame-colored”.
  • Its generic name Phoenicopterus came from a Greek word which literally translates to “blood red-feathered”.

OVERVIEW AND DESCRIPTION

  • Flamingos come from the family Phoenicopteridae, in the order Phoenicopteriformes; however, they are sometimes categorized under the order Ciconiiformes, with birds like auks, herons, ibises, and storks.
  • In most cases, one modern genus of Phoenicopteridae is identified, the Phoenicopterus, but sometimes the living flamingo species are grouped into an additional genera.
  • All six species of flamingo are slender-bodied water birds, ranging from 80 to 160 cm (31.5 to 63 in) in height, with long and necks, and down-arched bills for filter feeding.
  • These birds have webbed feet, enormous wings, and a short tail.
  • Young flamingos are born with gray feathers, but mature birds range from light pink to bright red because of the aqueous bacteria and beta carotene they get from the food they eat. A well-fed and healthy flamingo has more vibrantly colored feathers and thus has a higher chance of finding a mate. A white or pale flamingo, on the other hand, may be unhealthy or malnourished. Flamingos held captive are an exception; they turn pale pink because of the lack of carotene in their diet.
  • Naturally, flamingos have a black and white plumage, such as the black tips of the wings of the Phoenicopterus ruber.
  • They are native to the tropical and subtropical areas of the Americas, including the Caribbeans, Galapagos Islands, Africa, Madagascar, southern Europe, southwest Asia, Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent. Although they live in tropical regions, they can also be found in the high Andes of South America. Flamingos reside in areas with shallow saline, brackish, or alkaline water.

BEHAVIOR AND DIET

  • Since they are sociable birds, flamingos flock in large groups (hundreds or even millions).
  • When walking through water, flamingos usually stand on one leg. The reason for this behaviour is still unknown. One common theory states that tucking one leg beneath the body allows a flamingo to conserve body heat and keep its leg from getting wet.
  • Flamingos filter-feed on small mollusks and crustaceans, like brine shrimp, through their sieve-like bills. They may even stamp their feet in the mud to stir up their prey from the bottom. Their peculiar-shaped beaks are exclusively adapted to separate the mud and silt from the food they eat, and are particularly used upside-down. Filter-feeding with their bills is made possible by the hairy structures called lamellae, which line their mandibles and their rough tongues.
  • Shrimp and blue-green algae are the main sources of beta carotene, which is the main reason why these birds have pink or reddish plumage.
  • They also supply a milk-like substance similar to pigeon milk, because of a hormone called prolactin, which has more fat and less protein than that of pigeons. This substance is produced in glands that line their digestive tract.
  • Both flamingo parents take care of their chick, and young flamingos feed on this milk, which contains red and white blood cells, for two months until their bill is developed enough to filter-feed.

SPECIES

  • There are six extant species of flamingo. Some taxonomies acknowledge only five species, with the Caribbean flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) regarded as a subspecies of the greater flamingo (P. roseus); however, in 2002, the British Ornithologists Union categorized the pinker Caribbean population as a separate species.
  • Greater flamingo (P. roseus). The largest and most widespread of all the species, the greater flamingo is found in Africa, southern Europe, and southern and southwestern Asia. It stands at a height of 110 to 150 cm (43 to 59 in). It is considered as a species of least concern by the IUCN.
  • Lesser flamingo (P. minor). The smallest species of flamingo, standing at around 80 to 90 cm (31 to 35 in), the lesser flamingo can be found across Africa, such as in the Great Rift Valley, to northwestern India. It is listed as near threatened by the IUCN.
  • Chilean flamingo (P. chilensis). Reaching a height of 110 to 130 cm (43 to 51 cm), the chilean flamingo is closely related to the American flamingo and Greater flamingo. It breeds in the temperate regions of the southern part of South America, such as Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. This species is listed as near threatened by the IUCN.
  • James’s flamingo (P. jamesi). Also known as the Puna flamingo, this species was thought to be extinct until a remote population was found in 1956. They populate the high altitudes of Andean plateaus of Peru, Chile, Bolivia, and northwest Argentina. The species is listed as near threatened by the IUCN.
  • Andean flamingo (P. andinus). Closely related to James’s flamingo, this is among the rarest flamingos in the world, living in the Andes mountains of South America. It is currently listed as vulnerable by the IUCN.
  • American flamingo (P. ruber). Also called the Caribbean flamingo, this is the only flamingo that inhabits North America. It measures from 120 to 145 cm tall.
  • Flamingos are highly exposed to water pollution and lead poisoning.
  • Other threats to these birds include climate change, water level changes, and disease.

EVOLUTION

  • An extinct family of unusual “swimming flamingos”, the Palaelodidae, was initially believed to be the predecessor of the Phoenicopteridae.
  • This is now rejected since the fossil genus Elornis, a true although ancient flamingo, is known from the Late Eocene era, before any Palaelodid flamingos were discovered.
  • Some little-known birds from the Late Cretaceous period onwards are sometimes considered to be the ancestors of the flamingo. These include the genera Torotix, Scaniornis, Gallornis, Agnopterus, Tiliornis, Juncitarsus, and Kashinia.

REPRODUCTION

  • Prior to breeding, flamingo colonies separate into breeding groups of about 15 to 50 birds. Both sexes perform synchronized ritual displays, stimulating “synchronous nesting”; members stand together and stretch their necks upwards. They produce calls while head-flagging, and then flap their wings. This behavior also helps pair up those flamingos that are still looking for mates.
  • Flamingo pairs establish and protect their nesting territories. They find a comfortable spot on the mudflat to build a nest. Copulation happens during nest building, which is sometimes disturbed by another flamingo pair trying to take the nesting site.
  • Both parents contribute to building the nest and protecting the egg.
  • For the first six days after the chicks hatch, parents and chicks remain in the nesting sites. At around 7 to 12 days old, the chicks start to wander and leave the nest. When they reach two weeks, they start to live in groups called “microcrèches”. After some time, these microcrèches turn into “crèches”, containing thousands of chicks.
  • Chicks that do not remain in their groups are easy targets for predators.

Flamingo Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the flamingos across 21 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Flamingo worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the flamingos which are known for their pink or reddish plumage, long legs with webbed feet, and thin flexible necks. Under the genus Phoenicopterus, flamingos have six extant species distributed throughout America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Flamingo Facts
  • What’s With a Flamingo?
  • Flamingo Anatomy
  • Flamingo Lifecycle
  • Flamingo Wiki
  • Ask a Flamingo
  • Fascinating Flamingo Facts
  • Four Flamingo Species
  • Flamingo Acrostic
  • Parents’ Love
  • Flamingo Origami

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Link will appear as Flamingo Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, April 4, 2020

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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