Flamingoes in flight at koothankulam, Thirunelvelli District, Tamil Nadu
The graceful, pink flamingos fly in loose flocks, in long, single lines, or in V-formation. Their pink color comes from chemicals called carotenoids which are contained in the algae they eat The greater flamingo is particular about its choice of habitat. It needs shallow, very salty lagoons and lakes in which to fed and breed successfully. In winter, the northernmost colonies of greater flamingos in Asia will migrate south to the warmer coastal areas of Iran and India. Most other colonies will over winter if the weather stays mild. But these birds will move on if the weather turns bad. The greater flamingo nests in colonies that often contain thousands of birds. Male and female birds build the nest together. The nest is a mound of mud, 12-20 inches in diameter, and, despite the circular trench the birds construct around it, the nest and egg are often destroyed by a rise in water level A single egg is incubated alternately by both parents for four weeks. The chick is fed on regurgitated liquid called crop-milk. It begins to feed itself after a month, although the parents continue to feed it as well. About this time the chick joins other young birds in a group called a creche, taking 10 weeks to fledge (grow feathers). Young birds are grayish brown in color and gradually become white and pink, They attain their full adult plumage at three to four years of age. The flamingo filters food from the water, much like the blue whale. It uses its specially adapted bill to capture and filter its food, a combination of protozoa and algae as well as crustaceans, mollusks, and insects. Its long legs enable the flamingo to wade through deep water and mud in search of food, and its long neck allows it to reach food at some depth. It can also swim easily and will partially submerge itself in order to feed
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Photo credit: © vincy lopez / Alamy / Afripics
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Keywords: birds, flamingo, flight, flocks, formation, greater, phoenicopterus., roseus
