Flamingos live in huge flocks. They like to hang around shallow bays and tidal swamps where they walk around with their heads near the water so they can scoop up shellfish.
Flamingos are of the Family Phoenicopteridae. They are generally pinkish white to vermilion wading birds with extremely long necks and legs. The bill is thick and bent downward. It is also specially made for straining food, which includes mollusks, crustaceans, certain algae and diatoms. You can find flamingos in the West Indies, the Yucatan, the Galapagos, India, South America, southern Eurasia and Africa
The American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) is a 45-inch long, very thin rose-pink wading bird. It feeds with its bill or head immersed. The call is gooselike.
Flamingos lay one white egg in a nest mound. The nests are placed close together in shallow bays or tidewater mud flats. Both male and female incubate and care for the young. The young hatch in about a
month.
The little pink Flamingoes shown at left are Flo. Flo is a Puffkin Flamingo made by Swibco. The Puffkin line has been retired. If you think it isn't easy being green, you should try being pink. Most of the time you'll see Flo at the zoo with her friends.
The three flamingoes shown to the right of Flo are made by Ty Inc. They are all called Pinky, but the big one is a Beanie Buddy, the middle-size one is the Beanie Baby and the littlest one is a Teeny Beanie Baby. The largest Flamingo is from Ganz and, if there are any left, can be found in the Gift Shop.
Wild Republic will be coming out with a Pink Flamingo this year, 2007.
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