ANIMAL: American/Caribbean Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber Type of Animal: Flamingo Habitat: Shallows of salt/brackish water, lakes, lagoons, mudflats, estuaries, mangroves, shallow wetlands, intertidal zones, brackish/saltwater marshes, coastlines Location(s): N South America, Galapagos Islands, Caribbean islands, Bahamas, S Florida, Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, Caribbean coast of Central America, & coastal Texas. Appearance: Tall large reddish-pink bird w/ pink-black beak, juveniles are lighter and/or grayer Food/Diet: Crustaceans, mollusks, insects, insect larvae, fish, algae, diatoms, small seeds, aquatic plant matter, worms Status in Wild: Stable Conservation: Breeding in zoos, wildlife parks, & marine parks. Reintroductions into parts of their range. Lifestyle: Flocks range from 14 to as many as 10,000 birds. Colonial breeders w/ colonies ranging from 7 to as many as 5,000 birds. Additional Info: Called: Male: Cock Female: Hen Young: Chick Group: Flock/Colony/Flamboyance Weight: Male: 6.2 lbs Female: 4.9 lbs Gestation: 1 month Life Span: 20-35 years in wild, 40-50 years in captivity Height: Male: 4-5 ft Female: 4-4.5 ft Young: 2 ft Body Length: Male: 4-5 ft Female: 4-4.5 ft Young: 2 ft Tail Length: 1 in, same for both sexes Main predators of adults are crocodilians, felids, canids, raptors, raccoons, pigs, badgers, & large snakes. Gulls prey on chicks. Mink prey on chicks & juveniles. Coloration comes from food it eats. Bill acts as sieve in scooping up food. Flocks often form large curving pink lines in flight. Adult coloration & maturity reached around 2 years old. Chicks gather in crèches a week after hatching, which are guarded by a few adults. Chicks fledge at around 3-3.5 months but stay w/ parents for longer. Pairs lay 1-2 eggs per clutch. Make honking call. These birds disappeared from state of Florida around 1900 but reappeared around 1925 due to introductions derived from captive-bred birds. They’ve also flown in from other parts of range. Nests are mud mounds about a foot high. During courtship, they march, stretch their heads, & do wing salutes, often synchronously. They run a few steps into wind to take flight. Often stand on one leg to cut heat loss. Fun Fact(s): Hurricane Idalia in late August 2023 displaced some flamingos from Yucatan Peninsula, leading to increase of flamingos in Florida as well as sightings throughout E US as far N as Ohio & Pennsylvania. These birds iconic symbol of state of Florida.
