By:Carlos Forero Period 2 Flamingos By:Carlos Forero Period 2

Physical Appearances The Greater Flamingo stands at 120-150cm & weighs up to 3.5 kg The Lesser Flamingo stands at 80cm & weighs only 2.5 kg The color of feathers is different between species (Caribbean Flamingo- crimson or vermilion Chilean Flamingo- pale pink) Baby flamingos are born with gray or white feathers Adult flamingo’s legs are longer than its body (80-125cm) The Chilean, greater, and lesser flamingos have three forward-pointing toes and a hind toe. Webbing between the toes which helps the flamingo swim and stir up food Has 19 elongated cervical vertebrae which gives the flamingo maximum movement and twisting

Habitat All of the flamingos are found in tropical and subtropical areas Flamingos habitats are large alkaline or saline lakes or estuarine lagoons Habitat lacks vegetation The lakes may be far inland or by the sea

Diet Blue-green and red algae, diatoms, larval and adult forms of small insects, crustaceans, mollusks, and small fishes make up the main diet of flamingo. The shape of flamingo's filtering bill determines its diet. A flamingo will either have a shallow or a deep-keeled bill. Greater, Caribbean, and Chilean flamingos have shallow-keeled bills and feed on insects, aquatic invertebrates, and small fishes Lesser, James', and Andean flamingos have deep-keeled bills and feed mainly on algae and diatoms Slight differences in diet and habits prevent competition among flamingos that share feeding grounds.

Reproduction Flamingos reach sexual maturity several years after hatching. Usually begin to breed at about six years of age Flamingo colonies may breed at different times of the year. Breeding and nest building may depend on rainfall and its effect on food supply

Behavior Flamingos are very social birds Flock size ranges from 2 to 340 birds with an average of 71 birds. Flamingos devote time to collective displays before, during, and after breeding Several hundred to several thousand flamingos are all involved simultaneously with ritualized postures and movements to synchronize breeding.

Adaptations They are able to swim and waddle Can go into deeper waters than other birds Webbed feet support them on soft mud. They hold their breath while feeding under water Use longs to breathe line any other bird

Communication To communicate, they use certain vocal techniques Flamingo make noises to communicate that range from nasal honking to grunting or growling Vocalizations are used in parent-chick recognition Flamingos communicate with a broad range of visual displays

Fun Facts There are six distinct species of flamingo, but it takes a trained eye to distinguish them. When flying in a flock, the top speed of a flamingo can be as high as 35 miles per hour. Ankle is located halfway up the leg of the flamingo. The feathers under their wings are black Those feathers are also known as the “flight feathers”

Flamingo Videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qfoFcBLsCI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsMmn6rIGns https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUIrElXEN7A

Current Event Usually people do not witness a wild flamingo. Well in Fort Myers, Florida, a flamingo was spotted at the Bunche Beach Preserve. The wild flamingo was spotted on around like 2 PM on January 25th. Spectators who had a glimpse of the wild flamingo are still hoping to see a better view of the wild bird. Christian Hagenlocher, a bird watcher, believes that this is where flamingos used to live and it was incredible that the flamingo came to its original homeland to visit. It was encouraged by the Lee County Parks & Recreation officials for spectators to not get close to the flamingo so it wouldn’t get disturbed and also to use binoculars and cameras to see the flamingo from a distance. In my opinion it is pretty cool how the flamingo traveled back to one of its original home cites. See a flamingo in the wild is a rare site, so these people are very lucky to be able to see on in person. The way they were protecting the flamingo by not getting to close to it was a great way to prevent any dangerous incidents. http://www.winknews.com/2016/01/28/flamingo-sighting-on-bunche-beach-keeps-bird-watchers-in-a-frenzy/

Workcited http://birding.about.com/od/Bird-Trivia/a/20-Fun-Facts-About-Flamingos.htm https://seaworld.org/en/animal-info/animal-infobooks/flamingos http://www.winknews.com/2016/01/28/flamingo-sighting-on-bunche-beach-keeps-bird-watchers-in-a-frenzy/ http://mentalfloss.com/article/61853/15-fascinating-flamingo-facts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamingo https://www.google.com/search?q=flamingos&safe=strict&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj-s8aQo8zMAhXI4SYKHSNzCUsQ_AUIBygB&biw=1173&bih=509