{"id":11416,"date":"2022-04-04T11:35:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-04T09:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sciencefocus.com\/?p=1015"},"modified":"2022-04-04T11:54:10","modified_gmt":"2022-04-04T09:54:10","slug":"why-are-flamingos-pink","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/rss_feed\/why-are-flamingos-pink\/","title":{"rendered":"Why are flamingos pink?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Thomas Ling\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 04 April 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Ever wondered why flamingos are pink? We hate to shoot you down so soon, but they\u2019re not really. Well, not at birth, anyway.<\/p>\n

As shown in BBC\u2019s Life In Colour<\/a><\/em>, young flamingos flaunt grey\/white colour feathers and only develop their pinkish hue after delving into a diet of brine shrimp and blue-green algae \u2013 food that would likely kill other animals.<\/p>\n

\u201cFlamingos tend to live in inhospitable, relatively remote wetlands \u2013 lakes so alkaline in pH it could burn human flesh off the bones. Within this water, however, is an untapped resource of food like crustaceans, cyanobacteria and diatom algae. All of these can be dangerous to many other animals as they contain toxic chemicals called carotenoids,\u201d explains Dr Paul Rose<\/a>, zoologist at the University of Exeter.<\/p>\n

So, how are flamingos able to eat these foods without falling seriously ill? Thanks to their specialised metabolism, the birds are able to process these harmful chemicals in the liver, breaking them down into functional components and pigments.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s these pigments that eventually stain a flamingo\u2019s feathers \u2013 and that\u2019s not all.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir skin, mucous membranes, egg yolks and even fat are stained pink and similar colours like orange,\u201d says Rose.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s also worth noting this only works with pink pigments \u2013 you can\u2019t feed a flamingo blue food dye and hope it turns sapphire, for instance!\u201d<\/p>\n

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A flamingo chick with its pink parent \u00a9 Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Interestingly, while flamingos are pink primarily as a by-product of their diet, their colour takes on a special significance during mating season.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a flamingo, the pinker you are, the healthier and better quality you are \u2013 it\u2019s a direct reflection of how good you are at foraging. And you can use that to attract a mate in a courtship ritual,\u201d says Rose.<\/p>\n

Where do flamingos live?<\/h2>\n

In total, there are six flamingo species: the greater flamingo, Chilean flamingo, Caribbean flamingo, lesser flamingo, Andean flamingo and James\u2019s flamingo.<\/p>\n

As its name suggests, the greater flamingo, with a height of 110 to 150cm and a weight of up to 4kg, is the largest of the bunch, and is also the most widespread. They can be found in Africa, southern Europe, the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East.<\/p>\n

The Caribbean flamingo, also called the American flamingo, breeds in South America and the Caribbean, although its range can stretch to the southern regions of Florida. It is arguably the pinkest of all the flamingo species.<\/p>\n

The Chilean flamingo, Andean flamingo and James\u2019s flamingo all live in South America, with the Chilean flamingo occupying the largest range. These three species can often be found in the same areas, and will even live in flocks together.<\/p>\n

The lesser flamingo, with a height of 80 to 90cm and a weight of 1.2-2.7kg, is the smallest of the flamingo species, and lives in sub-Saharan Africa and northwest India.<\/p>\n

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Two greater flamingos flying \u00a9 Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Can flamingos fly?<\/h2>\n

Even though they are pretty sizeable birds, flamingos can fly. It takes them a little bit of effort to take off: they\u2019ll usually run for a few steps while flapping their wings to build momentum. They can fly at speeds of 50 to 60km\/h (31-37mph). If they need to travel a great distance, they\u2019ll do so at night when it\u2019s cooler and there are fewer predators about. A flock can travel up to 600km (372 miles) in a single night. They can fly at high altitudes of three to four kilometres.<\/p>\n

What is a flamingo courtship dance?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Each of the six flamingo species all sport their own courtship dance rituals. But although their routines differ, they all contain the same key moves (none of which, sadly, includes \u2018the floss\u2019).<\/p>\n

The tallest members of the flamingo colony (normally the males) will kick off the dance party with some \u2018head fragging\u2019 \u2013 basically throwing their head from side-to-side \u2013 as they stand very tall and rigid. At this signal, other birds of both sexes will join the party.<\/p>\n

\u201cFlamingos aren\u2019t like peacocks where the male has to put on a display for the female. Both sexes will join in \u2013 it\u2019s all very democratic in this way,\u201d says Rose.<\/p>\n

After this head fragging, the routine becomes more intense, the flamingos then throwing in some large wing movements. And if they get particularly excited, they\u2019ll start charging together in the same direction.<\/p>\n