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Scientific Name: Phoenicopterus Ruber
Kingdom: Animalia
Class: Aves
Phylum: Chordata
Order: Phoenicopteriformes
Family: Phoenicopteridae
Genus: Phoenicopterus
Species: Greater Flamingo
5 birds similar to the Greater Flamingo are:
 Limpkin
 Glossy Ibis
 Roseate Spoonbill
 Chinese Egret
 Western Reef-Heron
These birds all have rounder bodies with long legs.
Mostly living on habitats surrounded by water.
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The Greater Flamingo is usually a vibrant pink or reddish
color, coming from the pigments in the food it eats.
Flamingos from other parts of the world (not North or
South America), are usually paler pink.
The male Greater Flamingo is usually larger than the
female.
These birds can grow up to 5 feet tall. (60 in.)
Greater Flamingos usually weigh around 9 lbs. They do
not weigh very much because most of their body is made
up of leg.
In this image, on
the left you see a
larger, male
flamingo; Whereas
on the right you see
a smaller, female
flamingo.
It is highly difficult
to see the physical
difference between
male and female
flamingos. The only
major physical
difference is their
size.
This vibrant, pink
bird is the Greater
Flamingo.
You can see that
it has a blacktipped bill, and
very thin legs.
This bird is the
largest species of
flamingo, and is
the only type able
to be found at all
in North and
South America.
This map is a map showing the
distribution of Greater
Flamingos. Some of the more
common locations are
Columbia, Brazil, French
Guana, Cuba, Mexico,
Ecuador, and other countries
that are colored green.
They choose to live in various
locations with similar warm,
tropical climates. Usually
Greater Flamingos live on large,
salt lakes, or estuarine lagoons
that have very little vegetation.
Flamingos live on both saltwater
and freshwater.
On the ICUN Red List, the Greater Flamingo is listed as…
LEAST CONCERNED
This means that we currently do not have to worry about the
Greater Flamingo.
-Flamingos only lay 1-2 eggs per year. Their numbers do increase by
that, but not by much.
-Keep in mind that flamingos do die, and people do hunt them.
-If more start to die, there is a good chance they could go extinct.
-Right now this birds number is stable.
• The male and female Greater Flamingo typically stay
together throughout the incubation process.
• They have a monogamous mating system. (Only one mate.)
•The female will lay 1 egg per breeding season, 2 per year. If
she lays multiple eggs usually they will not hatch.
•The Greater Flamingo is usually around 6 years of age when
it begins to breed.
•Baby flamingos have lighter color and downy-like feathers.
•Both parents take care
of the chick.
•The chicks stay with
their parents 5-8 days
and then they form
groups with other
chicks called “creches”.
•The parents will
continually care for
their young until it is
unneeded.
•The chicks begin to fly
around 65-90 days old.
A Greater Flamingo can live a long life. They can live 2560 years.
The male and female bird life the same lifespan. There is
not an average amount of years expected to live, for the
Greater Flamingo.
Birds in captivity live longer. They are kept safer from
predators, which is the biggest cause of flamingo deaths.
The Greater Flamingo does not have any seasonal patterns or go
through the following:
•Hibernation
•Torpor
Sometimes the Greater Flamingo will migrate to a warmer climate,
but usually it is unnecessary, considering it lives in a tropical climate.
•The Greater Flamingo eats insects, worms, vegetation, and
algae.
•To get most of their food they have to swim deeper in
the water and get it out there.
•Alpha and beta carotenoid pigments, consisting also of
canthaxanthin, makes up the part of the diet that gives the
flamingo its pink and red feathers, legs, and face coloring.
•Humans destroy flamingo habitats.
•Prevents Flamingos food sources.
•Weird humans eat flamingo eggs and
the flamingo itself.
•Flamingos die.
Humans are not a flamingos biggest worry. Flamingos
are the prey of many animals such as: The Lappetfaced Vulture, White-headed Vulture, Marabou Stork,
Eagle, Black Kite, Turkey Vulture, foxes, badgers, Wild
Boars, and Yellow-legged Gulls.
The coolest fact about a Greater Flamingo is its color. The
Greater Flamingo gets its color from the pigments in the
foods it eats, like shrimp!
Works Cited
The Animal Files. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2013.
<http://www.theanimalfiles.com/birds/flamingos/ greater_flamingo.html>.
"FLAMINGOS." Seaworld. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2013.
<http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/ info-books/flamingo/habitat-&distribution.htm>.
"FLAMINGOS." SeaWorld. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2013.
<http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/ info-books/flamingo/diet.htm>.
"Greater Flamingo." Birds.com. NewMedia Holdings, n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2013.
<http://www.birds.com/ species/f-j/greater-flamingo/>.
"Greater flamingo." Bristol Zoo Gardens. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2013.
<http://www.bristolzoo.org.uk/greater-flamingo>.
Works Cited
"Greater Flamingo." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, n.d. Web. 23 Mar.
2013. <http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/greater-flamingo/>.
"Greater Flamingos, Phoenicopterus ruber." Marine Bio. MarineBio.org, n.d. Web. 23 Mar.
2013. <http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=170>.
"The Living Flamingo." bethel337.org. N.p., 10 Apr. 2010. Web. 24 Mar. 2013.
<http://www.bethel337.org/docs/flamingo_living.pdf>. Malone, Jean M. Flamingos. N.p.:
Penguin Group, 2009. Print. All Aboard Science Reader. Meziani, Adam.
"Phoenicopterus Ruber." Animal Diversity Web. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2013.
<http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Phoenicopterus_ruber.ht
ml>.
WhatBird.com. Mitch Waite Group, n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2013.
<http://www.whatbird.com/browse/objs/All/ birds_na_147/20/Body%20Shape/54/Longlegged-like>.
"Why do some animals hibernate in winter?" Coolquiz.com. Demand Media, n.d. Web. 24
Mar. 2013. <http://www.coolquiz.com/trivia/explain/docs/hibernate.asp>.