Greater Flamingo

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.

In Their Own Story

The dawn mist clung low over the salt flats of Lake Nakuru, turning the water into a sheet of hammered silver. Suddenly, the silence was broken not by sound, but by movement. A thousand heads turned in unison, black-tipped beaks dipping beneath the surface as one. The Greater Flamingos moved like a single, breathing organism, their pink and white feathers glowing softly against the grey dawn. An older bird, her plumage a deep, burnished coral from years of rich feeding, stepped carefully through the shallow water, her long, spindly legs barely disturbing the surface. She paused, tilting her head upside down, filtering the water with rhythmic precision. Around her, the colony hummed with low, guttural croaks, a sound like distant thunder rolling under the earth. As the sun crested the horizon, the mist burned away, revealing a sea of pink that stretched to the horizon, a living mosaic of survival and grace.

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. Eggs take 26-

Did You Know?

• The greater flamingo is the largest living species of flamingo, averaging 110–150 cm tall.
• The oldest known greater flamingo lived at least 83 years at Adelaide Zoo in Australia.
• Greater flamingos use uropygial secretions as 'make-up' to enhance their colour during breeding season.
• The species lays a single chalky-white egg on a mud mound.