Flamingos are a type of gregarious bird, which can live in populations made up of thousands of individuals They inhabit from sea level to 4000 or 5000 meters above sea level, and specifically they are found in ecosystems made up of shallow waters belonging to marshes, brackish lakes, lagoons, wetlands and coastal areas.
These animals belong to the Phoenicopteridae family, which is made up of two genera: Phoenicoparrus (smaller flamingos) and Phoenicopterus (greater flamingos), each with three different species. Flamingos require large areas to fully develop, they are capable of flying long distances and each gender has particular ways of feeding. In this article on our site, we'll explain what flamingos eat, so we invite you to keep reading.
Are flamingos omnivores?
Yes, flamingos are omnivorous, since their diet includes various species of animals, vegetables and algae. As in all living beings, the feeding of flamingos is fundamental and there are some aspects related to their nutrition that are relevant to highlight:
- The mainly pink coloration of adult flamingos is a product of the metabolism of the carotenoid pigments that are present in the crustaceans they consume, as explained in Why are flamingos pink?
- Newly hatched flamingos lack this pink coloration, they acquire it as they shed their feathers during growth, as long as they have the proper diet.
- Coloration in flamingos is a indicative of their he alth status, so when we see adult birds without coloration, this usually has to do with poor feeding of the animal.
- The males with more intense colors (product of adequate nutrition) are preferred by females at the time of reproduction.
- Studies have shown a high mortality of flamingos (as well as other birds) due to poisoning caused by consuming lead, which is It is present in the pellets that are used for the atrocious practice of hunting birds that inhabit aquatic areas and that end up at the bottom of the water, where these animals look for their food.
For more information, you can consult this other article on Omnivorous Animals - More than 40 examples and curiosities.
Flamingo feeding
Flamingos are called filter feeders, so thanks to the shape of their beak and the presence of specialized structures in the jaw, have the ability to filter the mud that forms in the water, and in which their food is found. The genus Phoenicoparrus has a longer beak specialized for capturing small prey, while the flamingos of the genus Phoenicopterus have a beak adapted to the consumption of larger prey. For more information, check out this other article on Types of bird beaks.
Depending on the species and the habitat, flamingos consume one food or another. Here is a general list of the flamingo's diet:
- Shrimp.
- Mollusks.
- Annelids.
- Aquatic insect larvae.
- Small fish.
- Water beetles.
- Ants.
- Seeds or branching stems of grass.
- Diatoms.
- Some types of decaying leaves.
- Small amounts of sludge to consume bacteria.
- Cyanobacteria.
- Rotifers.
How do baby flamingos eat?
Baby flamingos cannot feed themselves as adults do, since their beaks are still immature, but their skeletal, muscular and neurological systems are also limited in being able to capture and filter food, so they need time for this development and learn the process.
In this situation, adult flamingos, both females and males, feed the babies through a kind of milk that produces (not really a milk product) by specialized glands in the upper epithelial tissue of the digestive tract. This substance is then regurgitated and given to babies. This "crop milk" is a compound high in fat, protein and substances that strengthen the immune system of newborns.
Other curiosities about flamingos and their diet
Because some species of flamingo inhabit bodies of water that freeze during the winter, which undoubtedly restricts the availability of food, they must migrate to other areaswhere they can feed and reproduce. Therefore, they are considered migratory birds.
Your eating behavior patterns can also be modified by the weather conditions. Thus, in the presence of lower temperatures, they spend more hours resting to reduce energy expenditure.
Changes in the water level, which in turn influence the availability of food, also cause these animals to move to areas with more options for feeding.
Flamingo conservation status
Flamingos are animals susceptible to water pollution, because it directly affects their diet, and also theclimate change , because it modifies water temperatures and depths, which has repercussions on the species these animals feed on. Additionally, direct disturbances to the habitat due to tourism or construction affect these birds in the same way. Of the six varieties, the Andean flamingo (Phoenicoparrus andinus) is the most threatened, being cataloged on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature as vulnerable , mainly due to habitat exploitation, which has considerably reduced their populations.
It is also important to mention that flamingos are not pets, they are wild, so they should not be kept in captivity, this without Without a doubt, it would cause important nutritional deficiencies, since, as we have shown, they require species that inhabit natural ecosystems to stay he althy.
