Flamencos

Flamencos, known in English as flamingos, are wading birds in the family Phoenicopteridae. They are distinguished by their tall bodies, long necks, down-curved bills, and pink to red plumage, which results from pigments in their diet of algae and crustaceans. There are six living species placed in three genera: Phoenicopterus (greater, American, and Chilean flamingos), Phoeniconaias (lesser flamingo), and Phoenicoparrus (Andean flamingo and James’s flamingo).

Flamencos inhabit warm, shallow waters such as saline and alkaline lakes, lagoons, estuaries, and mudflats across Africa, Asia, the Americas, and parts of Europe. They feed by tilting their heads upside down in the water and filtering small organisms through lamellae in their beaks, often forming large feeding flocks in brackish environments.

Flamingos are highly social and breed in large colonies. Courtship displays include synchronized movements, head-flagging, wing-spreading, and vocalizations. Nests are mounded from mud, and typically a single egg is laid and incubated by both parents. Chicks hatch with pale grey down and acquire their pink coloration as they begin feeding on pigment-rich foods.

Conservation concerns include habitat degradation, water extraction and pollution, and disturbance of breeding sites. Some flamingo populations are protected within wetlands reserves and international agreements coordinate monitoring and habitat management to preserve feeding and nesting areas.