Greater Flamingo

The largest and most widespread flamingo species, found across the Old World.

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The greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) is the largest and most widespread species of the flamingo family. Common in the Old World, they are found in Northern (coastal) and Sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian subcontinent (south of the Himalayas), Central Asia, the Middle East, the Levant, the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, and the Mediterranean countries of Southern Europe.

Quick Facts

Genus: Phoenicopterus
Species: roseus

Lore & Background

The greater flamingo was described by Peter Simon Pallas in 1811. It was previously thought to be the same species as the American flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), but because of colouring differences of its head, neck, body, and bill, these two flamingos are now considered separate species. The greater flamingo is monotypic, with no subspecies.

Reader's Guide

The greater flamingo is the largest living species of flamingo, averaging 110–150 cm tall and weighing 2–4 kg. Most of the plumage is pinkish-white, but the wing coverts are red and the primary and secondary flight feathers are black. The bill is pink with a restricted black tip, and the legs are entirely pink. The call is a goose-like honking.

Chicks are covered in grey fluffy down. Subadult flamingos are paler with dark legs. Adults feeding chicks also become paler, but retain the bright pink legs. The coloration comes from the carotenoid pigments in the organisms that live in their feeding grounds.

Secretions of the uropygial gland also contain carotenoids. During the breeding season, greater flamingos increase the frequency of their spreading uropygial secretions over their feathers and thereby enhance their colour. This cosmetic use of uropygial secretions has been described as applying 'make-up'. The greater flamingo resides in mudflats and shallow coastal lagoons with salt water.

Using its feet, the bird stirs up the mud, then sucks water through its bill and filters out small shrimp, brine shrimp, other crustaceans, seeds (such as rice), blue-green algae, microscopic organisms (such as diatoms), insect larvae (such as chironomids), and molluscs. The greater flamingo feeds with its head down, its upper jaw movable and not rigidly fixed to its skull. Unlike many other species of long-lived birds, greater flamingos do not form pair bonds that last over consecutive breeding seasons.

When considering prospective breeding partners, there appears to be a preference for older, more experienced individuals. As both sexes seem to show this preference, pairs tend to consist of individuals of similar age. The species is well known for their courtship displays in large mixed-sexed groups. The complexity of an individual's courtship display may indicate that individual's age and fitness; display complexity increases until around 20 years of age, after which it begins to decrease.

While both sexes are involved in parental care, observations in captivity indicate that males are more involved than females, such as with incubation and nest protection. It is hypothesized that females may spend more time away from the nest in order to feed and recover from egg laying. Only one egg is laid, but in the event of that egg's loss, an additional egg can be laid.