Flamingo

Size
Flamingos are usually 42 inches long from the tip of the head to the tip of the tail, and are as tall as five feet, with a wing span of 55-65 inches.

Weight
They weigh 6 to 7 pounds.

Food
Flamingos eat algae, mollusks, larvae chrysalides of brine-flies and brine-shrimps, which give them their pink color.

Life Span
They live 20 years in the wild, and 50 years in captivity.

Reproduction
Pairs of males and females make mud-mound nests of 12-20 inches, and incubate only one egg for about 30 days. Chicks leave the nest after ten days, and join a group of other chicks, called a crèche, watched by a few adults.

Colors
Flamingos are pink in color, but depending on the species their legs may be brown or yellow.

Habitat
The flamingo lives in Central and South America, the West Indies, and the Galapagos Islands, in coastal salt lagoons, saltpans, and other brackish or saltwater shallows.

Interesting Facts
Ancient Romans ate flamingo tongues and considered them a delicacy.

A flamingo can eat only when its head is upside down.

Flamingo vocalization includes honking, grunting and growling.

Flamingos are very social birds.

Sub Species
There are six species including Lesser, James', Chilean, Andean, Greater and Caribbean flamingos.