Caribbean flamingo, Rosy flamingo
The American flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) is a large species of flamingo native to the Neotropics. It is the only flamingo that naturally inhabits North America.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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SemiaquaticSemiaquatic animals are those that are primarily or partly terrestrial but that spend a large amount of time swimming or otherwise occupied in wate...
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Wading birdsWading birds forage along shorelines and mudflats searching for small aquatic prey crawling or burrowing in the mud and sand. These birds live in w...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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Soaring birdsSoaring birds can maintain flight without wing flapping, using rising air currents. Many gliding birds are able to "lock" their extended wings by m...
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CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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FlockingFlocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
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ColonialColonial animals live in large aggregations composed of two or more conspecific individuals in close association with or connected to, one another....
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Highly socialHighly social animals are those which are highly interactive with other members of their species. They live in large groups, nest in colonies, and ...
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MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
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starts withThe American flamingo is a large wading bird. Most of its plumage is pink, giving rise to its earlier name of Rosy flamingo and differentiating adults from the much paler Greater flamingo. The wing coverts are red, and the primary and secondary flight feathers are black. The bill is pink and white with an extensive black tip. The legs are entirely pink. Adult American flamingos are smaller on average than Greater flamingos but are the largest flamingos in the Americas.
The American flamingo inhabits South America’s north coast, the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, and some of the Caribbean islands. There is also a small isolated population that inhabits the Galapagos Islands. It is the only flamingo that is native to North America. It lives in a wide variety of freshwater and saline habitats such as lagoons, estuaries, coastal and inland lakes, and mudflats.
Flamingos live, feed, and breed in large flocks, which may number thousands of individuals. When mating and interacting with others in the colony, they use highly ritualized displays. Most of the day American flamingos spend feeding. They are shy and fly away if disturbed. Both adults and juveniles spend most of their time feeding, preening, and resting. Each individual becomes aggressively territorial when foraging for food. A bird claims a "territory" and doesn’t allow others to come nearby. If one does come too close, the bird that has been offended will exhibit threatening displays in warning, so that the intruder will leave. A colony establishes distinct areas where the birds can freely interact, the drinking area being one such place. Like other flamingo species, American flamingos will migrate short distances to ensure that they get enough food or because their current habitat has been disturbed in some way. While their flights are not as long as other migratory birds, flamingos still fly for periods without eating.
American flamingos eat mainly brine, shrimps, and mollusks, but also marine worms, insects, and algae. Flamingos eat in an amusing manner. They position their beaks in the water upside down and suck water into them. They then pump the water out of the sides of their beaks. Tiny animals and plants remain to provide a tasty meal.
American flamingos are monogamous, with strong, long-term pair bonds. They engage in group courtship displays, thousands of birds turning their heads, bowing their necks, or raising their wings in spectacular synchrony. These displays make sure that the colony members are all ready for mating at the same time. These birds mate after the rainy season, typically in spring or summer. The parents both build the nest. Usually, just one egg is laid and is incubated by the male and the female for 27 to 31 days. Both parents feed the chick, with the typical “crop milk” that is secreted in the adults’ upper digestive tract. The chick is brooded for about 5-15 days, and then it gathers with other chicks in large crèches which several adults look after. It fledges at about 70-75 days old and becomes reproductively mature when it is 3-5 years old.
American flamingos are threatened by human disturbance and habitat loss along the Caribbean’s coastal wetlands.
IUCN Red List estimates the number of mature individuals to be around 260,000-330,000 birds. Overall, the numbers of this species are increasing today, and it is classified as least concern (LC).
American flamingos eat large amounts of crustaceans, aquatic invertebrates, and algae, and so have a big impact on these populations.
