legs and neck stretched straight out in flight (South Africa; 2007-06-28)


Greater Flamingo
Phoenicopterus roseus

Native Range: Eurasia and Africa

Notes: forages by inverting its bill and swishig it back-and-forth through the water, filtering out little food items by pumping water through its mouth using its large fleshy tongue; nest consists of a mud mound, usually in a colony.

pair wading in shallow water; no sexual dimorphism (Spain; 2006-06-06)
one adult with three grayer juveniles (South Africa; 2007-06-28)

feeding flock (South Africa; 2007-06-28)
birds have webbed toes and also can swim (South Africa; 2007-06-28)

adults in flight (South Africa; 2007-06-28)
juvenile; mostly pale gray rather than pink (South Africa; 2007-06-28)

more adults in flight (South Africa; 2007-06-28)
rather young chick; note the downy plumage (Zoo; 2012-09-19)

colony of mud nests tended by adults (Zoo; 2012-09-19)
adult feeding an older juvenile (Zoo; 2012-10-09)

colony at rest (Zoo; 2012-09-19)