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In Prayer
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| Photo Information |
Copyright: Manyee Desandies (manyee)
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3069 W: 231 N: 5841]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif) (19634) |
| Genre: Animals |
| Medium: Color |
| Date Taken: 2008-04-06 |
| Categories: Birds |
| Camera: Canon Powershot S3 IS |
| Photo Version: Original Version |
| Date Submitted: 2008-06-19 8:04 |
| Viewed: 421 |
| Points: 18 |
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
Chilean Flamingo
Phoenicopterus chilensis
Flamingos belong to one of the oldest bird groups alive. There are six types of flamingos (five species plus one species that is split into two subspecies.)
Physical Characteristics
Flamingos have an elongated, sinuous neck, short tails, and a long wingspan. The plumage of the Chilean flamingo is paler than other species. Colors vary within a range of white, pale pink, rose, salmon to black. The toes are short and webbed, the legs are naked, with the heel and feet being pink. They have yellowish-gray legs with red “knees” and feet, though the “knees” are really carpel joints and bend both ways.
The bill is black and adapted for its unique feeding method: it is held upside down in the water, and swept back and forth so the minute organisms are filtered out. The bill is bent sharply downward with filtering structures, the upper jaw fits into the lower jaw like a box lid. The fleshy tongue works to and fro like a piston.
The flamingo’s voice is loud and rather goose-like and appears to be important in keeping the flock together when flying. Flamingos are able to swim as well as fly. They’re migratory and fly in “skeins” or “V” formations. In flight, the neck is extended forward and the legs are extended backwards.
Flamingos can live up to 50 years.
Habitat/Diet
Chilean flamingos live in shallow brackish salt water lakes and lagoons, usually in warmer climates. Their geographic range is Central Peru, and South along the Andes to Tierra del Fuego.
In the wild, flamingos eat algae, crustaceans, brine shrimp, diatoms and aquatic plants. At the Zoo, a special “flamingo fare” is served, a commercially prepared diet. To preserve their rosy color at the Zoo, they are fed a diet high in caratenoids. Initially, zoos fed carrots, red peppers and dried shrimp, but today it has been found that if synthetic canthaxanthin is added to this, nesting and breeding is more successful.
Social Behavior
Flamingos are very social when assembled in nesting areas, and nests are usually built two nest-lengths apart.
During courtship, both sexes participate in many ritualized displays, such as ”head-flagging” followed by ”wing saluting,“ similar to everyday preening and stretching, except they are more stiffly performed. These displays occur months before and after actual nesting. They appear to be monogamous, and breed in huge colonies, seldom smaller than 20 birds.
Their nests are built in muddy areas where the mud is scooped and piled into a mound about 15 inches in diameter and about 1.5 to 2 feet high, and defended with various threat postures. The young are born with a gray down covering and, like pigeons, are fed a ”milk”, secretion from the crop, a pouched enlargement of the gullet. The young are precocial and are fed until approximately three months of age. Flamingos do not breed until they lose their gray juvenile color at about two to three years of age.
This photo was taken at the San Francisco Zoo.
Source |
haraprasan, loot, marhowie, Evelynn has marked this note useful
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Hi Manyee,
A nice portrait of this beautiful flamingo. Superb details and a lovely composition. Thanks a lot for sharing.
Hi Manyee ,
Very nice shot with great details.
Nice BG too.
Well done
Kind regards
Saeed
Beautiful work ManYee,
A lovely pose and well seen from the dark BG.
Very nice color, detail/DOF, and well exposed,
Excellent comp too..I like that second bird peeking in bottom frame :)
Well done & TFS!
Howard
- gannu
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 847 W: 4 N: 2096]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif)
(9830) - [2008-06-20 2:14]
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Hello Manyee, Oh no what a beautiful composition and shot. Excellent clarity and superb caption picture. Lovely POV and superb DoF. Ganesh
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- loot
(8971)
- [2008-07-18 23:40]
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Hi ManYee
What a great "pose" or moment to capture with this bird way off in "lala-land".
You did a great job here as I found these birds to be rather difficult to photograph due to their bright colour and the fact that red tends to confuse the camera's sensors. Their photos tend to come out either over exposed or under exposed, but this shot has perfect balance in lighting levels. The vertical composition worked fine for this long-necked bird and you applied a great sense of space with the cropping. The details and the colours are also on the spot.
Well done and TFS.
Regards
Loot
PS. I hope I was not too late with my e-mail and that you have not yet departed on your holiday to the east. Whatever, I hope you enjoy it and cherish every moment you have with his highness "The Little Emperor".
What a great pose and composition. I like the tight crop and the color is yummy.
TFS
Evelynn : )
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- Janice
(17209)
- [2008-07-22 14:07]
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Oh Manyee, how sweet the bird looks asleep like this. I love the colours and the softness / tenderness of the whole bird.
Well done
Janice
Hi Manyee,
It is a beautiful portrait shot of this guy. I wish I could sleep standing up. :-)
Very nice saturation, good detail and BG. Well done.
Jan-Hendrik
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- EOSF1
(20485)
- [2008-09-01 12:00]
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Very nice portrait Manyee, perfectly composed, great technical stuff and a beautiful result, well done my friend!
Mario
