Flamingo, American

Also known as Caribbean Flamingos, they are easily distinguishable by their orange-pink feathers, elongated necks and legs, and their curved bill which has a black tip on slightly less than half of the bill. Their large size distinguishes them from most other flamingo species.

Young are not born with the orange-pink colouring of their parents or their developed bills, but rather are a gray colour and have straight bills. The colour of their feathers changes from gray to pink over time as they eat shrimp and other similarly pigmented aquatic creatures.

Height: 120 - 140 cm (47 – 55 in)
Weight: 2.2 - 2.8 kg (78 – 99 oz)
Wingspan: approximately 150 cm (59 in)

When feeding, they hold their bills almost horizontally. While in this position, they use a number of maneuvers to strain shallow water for a variety of food. They use their legs to stir up mud in search of food and they will feed at any time of day or night.

Though not endangered, flamingos face threats such as habitat loss (road construction and development of housing and shipping docks), lead poisoning and from humans (such as tourists, bird watchers and photographers) who can disturb their colonies.