Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Flamingos are capable flyers, and flamingos in captivity often require wing clipping to prevent escape. A pair of African flamingos which had not yet had their wings clipped escaped from the Wichita, Kansas, zoo in 2005. One was spotted in Texas 14 years later. It had been seen previously by birders in Texas, Wisconsin and Louisiana. [36]
Newly hatched flamingos are gray or white. Their feathers acquire a pink color by the time they are around 2 or 3 years old, due to their carotene-rich diet. The chemicals that color their feathers are the terpenoids: alpha- and beta-carotenes (similar to carotene in carrots). [10] An adult has 12 major feathers designed for flight on each wing.
Chilean flamingoes weigh between 5.5 and 7.75 pounds and can grow to nearly 5 feet tall. Their plumage is pink and white, and their distinctive bent bill is black and white.
They may reach sexual maturity between 3 and 6 years of age, though usually they do not reproduce until they are 6 years old. Their life expectancy of 40 years is one of the longest in birds. Adult American flamingos are smaller on average than greater flamingos, but are the largest flamingos in the Americas. They measure from 120 to 145 cm (47 ...
For premium support please call: 800-290-4726 more ways to reach us
Chilean flamingos live in large flocks in the wild and require crowded conditions to stimulate breeding. During breeding season, males and females display a variety of behaviors to attract mates, including head flagging—swiveling their heads from side-to-side in tandem—and wing salutes, where the wings are repeatedly opened and closed.
For premium support please call: 800-290-4726 more ways to reach us
Though it resembles blood in color, it contains no red blood cells; the red color is from the presence of canthaxanthin. [5] After the first few weeks, the color fades gradually; flamingos can produce crop milk for up to the first 6 months of their young's life. [5]