Flamingos

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Flamingos are famous for their bright pink feathers, stilt-like legs, and S-shaped neck. They’re also known for “running” on water, thanks to their webbed feet, to gain speed before lifting up into the sky. You’ll find flamingos throughout the world’s warmer regions, near shallow lakes and lagoons. On the ground, flamingos fish while walking in shallow water and mud. When a flamingo spots potential dinner—favorite foods include shrimp, snails, and plantlike water organisms called algae—it plunges its head into the water, twists it upside down, and scoops the fish using its upper beak like a shovel. Flamingo young are born white, with soft, downy feathers and a straight bill. The bill gradually curves downward as the flamingo matures.

FAST FACTS

A flamingo’s color varies depending on its diet.

There are five species (types) of flamingos.

Adult flamingos stand between three and six and a half feet tall.

Flamingos can live from 20 to 30 years in the wild.

Information from National Geographic Kids