Whether you’ve wondered “Why do flamingos lose their pink?” or didn’t even know they could lose their pink, this post is for you! We will tell you five interesting facts about flamingos, and how, sadly, they may go extinct due to climate change.
Why do flamingos lose their pink? – Quick Answer
Flamingos are pink because of the carotenoid pigments present in their food. As flamingos feed their chicks, they give so much of their food intake away, that these carotenoid pigments become less present, thus resulting in them losing their pink. Another factor like changes in diet could result in loss of color for flamingos, read below to find out more!
We want to thank you for being curious about animals, because the more you know about animal species, the more connected you can feel to them. It is that connection that holds the seeds of compassion and empathy, which may grow into actions for animal conservation.
In our blog, we try to bring awareness about the fact that there’s no sustainable future on earth without animals. Only by knowing more about them and the role they play in our ecosystems, people become able to understand that.
Feed your curious spirit by checking out our Animal FAQ section. Where you will be able to learn a lot about other species.
- Why are animals red? The Surprising Reason
- Can fish drown? well, yes and no
- How Do Birds Mate?
- How Long Do Monkeys Live?
- Can Squirrels Swim?
Now, onto the answers you are looking for!
Jump links
- Why are flamingos pink?
- Why do flamingos lose their pink?
- What is a flamboyance of flamingos?
- Can flamingos fly?
- Do flamingos eat upside down?
- Are flamingos going extinct?
To understand why flamingos lose their pink, you should first know why are flamingos pink in the first place.
Why are flamingos pink?
Shockingly enough, flamingos aren’t born pink, they become pink because they eat a diet incredibly high in carotenoids. Carotenoids are a class of natural pigment molecules that become synthesized by plants, algae, and photosynthetic bacteria. They are present in the crustaceans, cyanobacteria and diatom algae flamingos eat. As flamingos metabolize their food in the liver, these carotenoids turn their feathers pink.
“Flamingos tend to live in inhospitable, relatively remote wetlands – 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,”
– Dr Paul Rose, zoologist at the University of Exeter, explained to Thomas Ling from BBC Science Focus.
Why do flamingos lose their pink?
Because of what we explained previously if changes in diet were to occur towards foods lower in the specific carotenoids that turn flamingos’ feathers pinks, flamingos could lose their color.
But the most common reason behind flamingos’ loss of coloration is being in the early stages of parenting a young. This is because the crop milk they provide as food for their chicks, has most of the nutrients and carotenoids flamingos acquire from their diets. They basically drain themselves dry, to feed their babies. Much like a human mother who becomes skinny from breastfeeding.
The good news is that once the chicks become independent and eat on their own, the parents gain their color back. A sweet metaphor for what humans go through in their own parenting journey.
What is a flamboyance of flamingos?
A group of flamingos is called a flamboyance. Flamingos tend to live in huge groups, they can even reach the thousands! They are very social beautiful creatures, so the term flamboyance sims to fit them just right.
This is what a flamboyance of flamingos looks like:
Can flamingos fly?
Photo by Julia Volk via Pexels
Yes, all six species of flamingos can fly.
They often fly in groups. If you go to a place where flamingos are in their natural habitat, such as the Atacama desert, you can see an entire flamboyance take the air.
Usually, they fly to breed or move to a new body of water where they can find warmth during cold seasons. Oftentimes, to travel long distances they fly by night.
When flamingos fly at night for their long-distance travels, they can reach 40 miles per hour (mph). But, if they are going short distance, you can usually catch them going 35mph.
Sadly, most flamingos at zoos can’t fly, as they have their flight feathers trimmed.
Do flamingos eat upside down?
Yes, flamingos eat upside down.
As we mentioned, flamingos eat tiny crustaceans like brine shrimp, algae, tiny seeds, and other living beings that inhabit shallow waters.
To feast on their meal, they will turn their heads upside down in the water and use their tongue as a strainer to catch their food. This is because flamingos are filter feeders.
When it’s time to eat, a flamingo will place its head upside down in the water with its bill pointed at its feet. It then sweeps its head side-to-side, using its tongue to pump water in and out of its bill. Comb-like plates along the edge of the bill create a filter for water to rush out, while trapping food inside.
– Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute
Their beak reflects the way they eat, if you pay attention, you can see it’s inverted from the way most other beaks look: with a curve on the top instead of at the bottom. They are one of the few animals that can move their top beak when eating.
Video of flamingos eating upside down
Are flamingos going extinct?
We know by now that climate change has a severe impact on future animal populations. Just as some species have gone extinct in the past due to changes in their habitats caused by global warming, more species will also be heading to extinction in the near future. The question is, will flamingos be one of them?
To answer the previous question, Henrique C. Delfino from the Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, published a paper (Delfino, 2023) in which he assessed the impact that future climatic changes could have on the distribution of the six extant species of flamingos.
Climate change is one of the most impactful global phenomena, affecting multiple ecosystems, particularly wetlands and water bodies, as well as important species that depend on these areas. Flamingos are unique and distinctive species that live exclusively in these environments and are highly impacted by any changes in their breeding or non-breeding wetlands.
Delfino, H. C. (2023). A fragile future for pink birds: habitat suitability models predict a high impact of climate change on the future distribution of flamingos. Avian Ecology, 54(3), 310-324. https://doi.org/10.1080/01584197.2023.2257757
The research looked at four different scenarios for how society might develop and used eight different climate models. The results predicted that five out of the six species of flamingos will experience continued loss of habitat over the next few decades in all scenarios.
The data also suggest that climate change will have a greater effect on species with more limited habitat preferences and wetlands located at the edges of their ranges.
This research proves that flamingos are definitely in danger of becoming extinct due to climate change-caused modifications in their habitat. It ends with a call for combined efforts from citizens, scientists, and policymakers to design and participate in conservation strategies. As well, as strategies that could help mitigate the worsening effects of climate change on wetlands and prevent future declines in flamingo populations.
Conclusion
In this post, we learned a lot about flamingos. We answered the commonly asked question “Can flamingos lose their pink?” and gave you more surprising facts about this species.
We explained the future consequences of climate change in flamingo populations, showcasing the need to design a conservation response and take action to slow down global warming.
As we said in the beginning, by knowing the awesomeness of animals you are more likely to care about their existence, so keep being curious!
We write profiles of endangered species, you may want to take a look. These species are not so famous, and we are hoping that by writing about them, we can bring them to the spotlight, and up the chances of getting conservation efforts directed at them.
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