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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
This photo I took late in the afternoon so it became a little dark already. But the look of the flamingo´s intrigued me.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Flamingos (genus Phoenicopterus monotypic in family Phoenicopteridae) are gregarious wading birds, usually 3–5 feet in height, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. They are more numerous in the latter, but there are four species in the Americas against two in the Old World. Flamingos live in large flocks in aquatic areas.
Diet
Flamingos filter-feed on shellfish and algae. Their oddly-shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they consume, and are uniquely used upside-down. The filtering of food items is assisted by hairy structures called lamellae which line the mandibles, and the large rough-surfaced tongue. Flamingos are also noted for balancing themselves on one leg while standing and feeding.
Color
The young hatch with white plumage, but the feathers of a flamingo in adulthood range from light pink to bright red, due to carotenoids obtained from their food supply. A flamingo that is well fed and healthy is vibrantly coloured. The pinker a flamingo is, the more desirable it is as a mate. A white or pale flamingo, however, is usually unhealthy or suffering from a lack of food. Notable exceptions are the flamingos in captivity, many of which turned a pale pink as they are not fed foods containing sufficent amounts of carotene. This is changing as more zoos begin to add shrimp and other suppliments to the diets of their flamingos. All flamingos have 12 black flight feathers in each wing.
One-legged Pose
Flamingos are known to stand on one leg whilst sleeping. This is done in order not to let body heat escape into the water in which their feet are submerged |
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![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 297 W: 3 N: 653]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif){kind=small}
