Flamingos are omnivores that feed on blue-green algae, brine shrimp, insect, crustaceans, and mollusks. For example, the Lesser Flamingo has a deep-keeled bill that is ideal for the intake of algae and diatoms. Flamingos fly and feed in large flocks of hundreds to even millions of birds. What Do Flamingos Eat? Their bill is specially designed for the type of food that they eat. Flamingo feather coloration ranges from pale pink to crimson according to species. Flamingos eat algae, diatoms and small crustaceans found in lagoons or large, shallow lakes. Flamingos look big, but they weigh only 5 to 6 pounds. In captivity, they are fed special food that contains these natural pigments to ensure that their feathers are coloured. What do they eat? The color pink comes from beta-carotene in the crustaceans and plankton that flamingos eat. Nothing, they are naturally pink Step 2 : Answer to the question "What do flamingos eat that makes them pink? Birds are one of the the most colorful creatures in the animal kingdom. Most species of flamingo are a pinky/orange colour, some however can be white, black or even blue. In fact, they feed on other aquatic food: algae, seeds of aquatic plants, insect larvae and small crustaceans, which just supply the body with flamingos carotenoid. When flamingos eat a diet without this nutrient, they turn white. Take a closer look at these encyclopedia books including information about animal habitats, behavior, and scientific classification. A typical flamingo diet consists of blue-green algae, brine shrimp, small insects, insect larvae, crustaceans, and some mollusks. Flamingos may rest either sitting down with their legs tucked beneath them or standing on one leg. Flamingos do not breathe while they are eating. These foods are rich in beta-carotene. A flamingo often stands with its long, thin neck curved into an S shape. What Do Flamingos Eat? It also tints flamingos' feathers pink. The birds pale in captivity unless their diet is supplemented. The foods flamingos eat are high in carotene, which dyes their plumage. They do, indeed: Several species of hawks eat songbirds, according to the National Audubon Society, such as Cooper’s hawks, red-tailed hawks, and rough-legged hawks. Flamingos eat algae and crustaceans that contain pigments called carotenoids. Flamingos feed in a similar fashion to whales and oysters, meaning they filter food from water that they pick up. Like mentioned previously, the flamingo’s color comes from its diet of bacteria, algae, plankton, shrimp and crustaceans. Step 1 : Introduction to the question "What do flamingos eat that makes them pink?...1. They wade along the edges of lakes and lagoons (shallow areas of water linked to the sea). Standing proudly in the sunlight in large flocks, a “pat” of flamingos is quite glorious to behold, but their unique coloring has a very simply explanation. The common phrase that “you are what you eat” is certainly true for everyone’s favorite bright pink bird. Interestingly, pigeons also feed their young ones a milky secretion through their upper digestive tract. Its diet includes small fish and molluscs too. Lesser flamingos are excellent swimmers. Click here for a library of flamingos resources. Flamingos sweep their heads from side to side just below the surface of the water to collect their food if they have a deep-keeled mandible. Flamingos also eat aquatic small insects. Baby flamingos stay in the nest for a few weeks. These birds have distinctive ability to pick up the food from ground or mud-water in that they tend to separate mud from the food they want to eat. Unfortunately, not all flamingos are exposed to such a great variety of foods which include carotenoids and beta-carotene pigments. Link/Page Citation Wild flamingos eat algae, small insects, and small crustaceans like shrimp. 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