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Scientific Name : Phoenicopterus chilensis
There are actually 6 types of flamingo from all round the world. The ones at the Wildlife Park are Chilean flamingos, which come from South America. They are found in Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and, of course, Chile.
They live mainly on shallow,
salt water lakes, sometimes quite high up in the mountains. They move around
quite a bit, either to find new feeding grounds or because they have been disturbed
by people.
Interestingly, they seem to prefer lakes with no fish - this is probably because
fish would compete with the flamingos for food.
Flamingos eat tiny plants and animals that float around in the water or live in mud on the lake bottom. They have their own special way of feeding, using their unusual beak: the flamingo holds its head upside down in the water and waggles its tongue up and down quickly to pump in the water. The special filters inside the beak sieve out the tiny bits of food before the water is pumped out again.
Red colouring in their food turns their feathers pink!
The fact that flamingos hang out in such huge groups (hundreds or even thousands) tends to put off predators. Young flamingos are sometimes eaten by birds of prey and small cats or other carnivores. Gulls often steal flamingo eggs.
Flamingos do not breed until they are six years old, and even then they may not breed every year.
Each year, those flamingos that are ready to breed make themselves known by doing a kind of dance - stretching, preening and flashing the black feathers on their wing tips. Others join in until everyone has found their partner. Each pair then builds a volcano- shaped nest from mud and stones, into which the female lays just one white egg. Both parents keep the egg warm for 28-31 days, until it hatches into a fluffy grey chick. For the first few weeks the chick is fed on a special red liquid called crop milk, which the adults spit out.
The young do not look like adults until they are three years old. Flamingos live for up to 40 years.
The flamingo's long legs are well suited for wading in the water without getting wet feathers! A long neck is then essential for reaching all the way down into the water to feed!
The joint which looks like a back-to-front knee is actually the flamingo's ankle.
Flamingos sleep on one leg with their head tucked under a wing. The leg locks into position.
Flamingos sometimes
migrate to find a better feeding place. Flying mainly at night time, they
can cover over 300 miles in one night.
Facts and Figures |
|
Name |
flamingo |
Type of animal |
bird |
Where found |
South America |
Habitat |
lakes, rivers, streams |
Diet |
carnivorous |
Average length |
100 cm |
Average weight |
2.5 kg |
Average number of young per year |
1 |
Egg incubation |
30 days |
Maximum lifespan |
30 years |