Flamingos are truly striking creatures! With their bright pink plumage, long, slender limbs, and elegant curved necks, these colorful birds are a sight to behold. They even spend most of their day standing on one leg!

Despite their vibrant appearance, flamingos live in sparse habitats, but they are perfectly adapted to thrive in these conditions. Their unique biology and physical attributes enable them to survive where most animals cannot. Pretty awesome, right?

Hungry to learn more about fancy flamingos? Well, you’re in the right place! Today I’m going to tell you everything you ever wanted to know about these sassy water birds. Read on to become an official flamingo expert among your friends! 

Taxonomy

• Kingdom: | Animalia
• Phylum: | Chordata
• Class: | Aves
• Order: | Phoenicopteriformes
• Family: | Phoenicopteridae

Flamingo Species

There are six flamingo species. Of these six species, two are native to Africa, Europe, and Asia, and the other four species are found across the Americas. 

• The Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) is the most widespread species. It is found across the Middle East, the Indian continent, Africa and Southern Europe. 
• Lesser Flamingos (Phoeniconaias minor) are found in Sub-Saharan Africa and Western India. 
• Chilean Flamingos (Phoenicopterus chilensis) are found across South America, including Chile, Paraguay, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. 
• Andean Flamingo (Phoenicoparrus andinus) is native to the Andean mountains and are the rarest flamingos. They are threatened by local mining and are now considered vulnerable. 
• Caribbean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) is present in South America, several Caribbean Islands, Mexico, and Florida. They are sometimes called American flamingos.
• James’s Flamingo (Phoenicoparrus jamesi) lives in high-altitude regions of Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina.

Relationship with Grebes

Some recent research has found a strong genetic link between flamingos and grebes. Not only do these two water birds have several unique physical similarities, but they also share DNA molecules, too. 

All of this suggests that flamingos and grebes are closely related, even though they look very different at first glance!

What Do Flamingos Look Like?

Of course, the most striking feature of a flamingo is its bright pink or reddish coloration. 

Flamingos vary in tone from pale, light pink, to a deep crimson red, depending on the particular species. The intensity of their coloring is linked to their diet, but more on that later!

Flamingos are also known for their long, skinny legs that enable them to wade through deep waters. It’s very common to see these bright birds standing on one leg when taking a rest. 

Flamingos have very slender, flexible necks that are curved in an S-shape. Their bills are very hooked so that they can sift through the water to capture their food. 

Each type of flamingo looks slightly different, but they all have these main traits in common. 

The largest flamingo is the Greater Flamingo, which also happens to be the most common species. Greater flamingos stand up to 4.7 feet tall and can weigh up to 9 pounds. 

The smallest flamingo species is the Lesser Flamingo. This beautiful bird reaches up to 2.9 feet tall and weighs between 3.3 to 4 pounds.