Pink flamingo message. Pink bird flamingo. Photo, description. What constitutes the basis of flamingo nutrition

Short message about flamingo will tell about this amazing beautiful bird... Also, information about flamingos will help you prepare for the lesson and deepen your knowledge of biology.

Flamingo message

Flamingo is big bird with red or pink feathers, with long legs and a long, slightly crooked beak. The largest flamingo in the world is the Pink Flamingo, which reaches a height of 1.2-1.5 meters and weighs about 3.5 kilograms. The smallest flamingo is the Lesser Flamingo, which is 0.8 meters long and weighs 2.5 kilograms. It is noteworthy that the Pink Flamingos have the paler feather color, while the Caribbean Flamingos are known for their bright, almost red feathers.

They come from the ancient genus of bird. Their ancestors were similar to modern flamingos. Archaeological excavations have shown that these birds appeared on Earth a long time ago. It's worth noting that flamingos are social animals. They live in groups. When they fly from place to place, but gather in flocks. Communicate with loud and shrill screams. Flamingos are flying birds, but in order to get off the ground, they need to scatter. In flight, they stretch their legs and long necks in a straight line.

What do flamingos eat?

Note that the pink color of flamingos directly depends on the food that the birds eat. What do you think flamingos eat? They eat shrimp and algae, since this particular food contains pigments of orange-colored carotenoids, which are transformed into red pigments during the digestion process.

When eating, flamingos lower their heads under the water, draw in water with the help of their beak and sift the food they eat. Water comes out through the beak. This is facilitated by small, hair-like filters. In search of food, flamingos walk with their long legs along the bottom of the reservoir, wandering even to great depths. This is their main advantage over other bird species.

Flamingo way of life

During mating, they create pairs, but for one season. The female builds the nest together with the male. During the season, the male lays only one egg, which is "looked after" by both parents. After the chick hatches, they feed it together and are responsible for it. The nest is built from mud. It is up to 0.3 meters high. This protects it from extremely hot ground surfaces and floods.

The chick has gray feathers, pink legs and a beak. Feathers acquire a characteristic pink color at the age of 2. Babies stay in the nest for 5-12 days. Parents feed them a fatty substance that is produced in the upper part of their digestive tract... Then the chick begins to feed on its own.

Where do flamingos live?

Homeland of flamingos - South and North America, Asia and Africa. Archaeological excavations have shown that earlier birds lived in Australia and Europe. Life expectancy in natural habitat is 20-30 years, and in captivity they live for more than 30 years. They prefer to settle with shallow salt lakes, on shallows, and near estuaries, in coastal lagoons.

Flamingo species

Pink flamingos (Africa, southern Europe, southwestern Asia).
Lesser flamingos (Africa, northern Indian subcontinent).
Chilean flamingos (Southwest South America).
Caribbean flamingos (Caribbean, northern South America, Yucatan Peninsula, Galapagos Islands).
Andean flamingos (Chile, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia).
Flamingo James (Chile, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia).

Why are flamingos listed in the Red Book?

Some bird species are on the verge of extinction. These are Lesser Flamingos, Chilean Flamingos, James Flamingos, Andean Flamingos. The decline in the number of flamingos is due to human activities.

Flamingos form the largest flocks of birds on the planet. They number over a million individuals.
Only the Andean flamingos have yellow legs. In other species, they are pink.
V Ancient rome the flamingo tongue was prized as a delicacy.
Flamingo eggs are a recognized delicacy in the world.
Scientists are still at a loss as to why the flamingo gets on one leg. According to one version, they stretch their leg out of cold water to save heat and use less heat. According to another version, they are resting in a position that is very comfortable for them.

We hope that the essay about flamingos helped you learn a lot about this large bird with pink feathers. And you can add the story about flamingos through the comment form below.

Lat. Phoenicopterus roseus, one of the common flamingo subspecies. The plumage in adults is light pink. The pink flamingo is the most common type of flamingo. This bird is included in the category of rare species and is listed in the Red Data Books of Russia and Kazakhstan.

Structure

A distinctive feature of this type of flamingo is its plumage: it can be from white to dark pink. The wings are usually purple-red, the flight feathers are black. Up to three years old, flamingos have a gray tint. The beak is pink and black at the base. The edges of the beak and mandible are framed by horny plates and denticles. They form a filtering apparatus. The size of an adult bird reaches 130 cm. The average weight is 2100-4100 g. The flamingo has the longest neck and longest legs relative to the body among all representatives of the order of birds. On the legs there are 4 toes, of which the three front ones are united by the swimming membrane. In flamingos, the upper part of the beak is mobile, but the lower part is not, which distinguishes it from most birds. The lifespan of a flamingo is striking: about 30 years.

Habitat

The distribution is extremely uneven: from southern Europe and Asia to Africa. Breeds on lakes in Kazakhstan every year. In Russia, flamingos do not nest, but migrate through the mouth of the Volga River, Dagestan, Kalmykia, Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories. Flamingos live in large bays of the sea coasts, in large and small salt lakes.

Personality, lifestyle and nutrition

Flamingos feed mainly on small crustaceans and their eggs. They can also feed on mollusks, arthropod larvae, worms. They hunt in shallow water, where the prey is clearly visible. Entering the water, flamingos lower their heads to the bottom and rummage in the sand with their beaks, in search of food. Flamingos are monogamous animals, one pair is formed for several years. To get enough, a flamingo must eat about a quarter of its weight per day. Due to the carotenoid pigments present in food, the plumage of flamingos remains pink. If these pigments are lacking, the color of the bird fades.

Reproduction

The nesting period for these birds is colonial. They build nests from silt. Nest in the form of a conical column, approximately 50 cm in diameter and up to 60 cm in height. The female lays one egg in each depression in the cone. During the incubation period, which lasts about a month, flamingos renew their nest, raking up new portions of silt. Therefore, over time, a hole is formed in the ground around the nest. In one nest, you can find from 1 to 3 eggs. Both parents incubate them for about a month. In the future, the male and the female also take care of the chicks. The main color of the shell is light green, but since the whole egg is covered with silt, it appears white. The size of the eggs is about 89 × 54 mm. After hatching, chicks remain in the nest for about 4 days. Then they descend and live near the nest. At first, the chick is covered with white down. But after a month, it becomes grayish. Chicks can see from the very beginning and have a straight beak.

Interesting facts about flamingos

Flamingo- wading bird with plumage with shades pink and scarlet flowers. There are many interesting facts about flamingos, including the fact that their eyes are actually larger than their brains.

Word flamingo comes from the Spanish word flamengo early form flamenco... These words come from the Latin word flamma, which means "flame". The habitat of these birds is large shallow lakes, lagoons, mangrove swamps, high tides and sandy islands above low tide. An adult flamingo is 36 to 50 inches tall, has a wingspan of about 60 centimeters, and weighs an average of 8.75 kg. However, these data differ in different types... The flamingo has such a distinctive appearance that in any given area it will probably be the tallest, pinkest bird. They have sinuous necks, slender legs, and a black-tipped beak that curves towards maturity.

Below are some Interesting Facts about flamingos:

Flamingos are found in warm, shallow, watery regions on many continents. Their extensive habitats include river estuaries and salt or alkaline lakes in Africa, Asia, North America, Central America, South America, and Europe.
Well-adapted birds live in hot volcanic lakes as well as icy lakes in the Andes mountains.
Their beautiful color comes from algae, diatoms and small crustaceans that they eat, which are rich in carotene.
They have an interesting feeding method: they muddy mud and water with long legs and webbed paws. Then they submerge their beak, or even their head, in water and absorb dirt and water. They shake their heads from side to side to shake off excess dirt and water, trapping and eating plankton, fish and tiny fly larvae. When feeding, flamingos hold their breath.
Flamingos tend to dress up, which takes a significant amount of time each day. They preen themselves by using their beak, with which they distribute fat from the iron at the base of the tail onto their feathers.
Unlike their looks, they are surprisingly good swimmers. Their webbed feet help them swim and stand in soft mud. However, they do not swim if the water is too deep to waddle.
Flamingos live in groups called flocks or colonies. Large numbers provide safety from predators, especially when they feed upside down underwater. Also, they do not nest if there are other flamingos around.
Flamingos have an equal responsibility in raising children. Both the male and the female accumulate dirt to build a nest in which the female lays one egg at a time. After about 30 days of the incubation period, when the parents incubate in turn, a chick with gray or white plumage hatches from the egg.
Both parents process the food given to the baby, and the mother and father secrete milk-like substances that provide them to the chick proper nutrition... This continues until the chick's beak is fully formed and it can get food.
A flock of flamingos is a truly magnificent sight. They pick up speed to take off and flap their wings almost continuously during flight. The flock can reach 31 to 37 mph.
Recently, changes in the migration patterns of flamingos have manifested themselves as a result of environmental changes and global warming. These birds travel long distances easily and can travel over 300 miles in one night.

There are many other interesting facts about these magnificent birds... For example, what the flock is sometimes called the brightness of flamingos, and that they sleep on one leg!

This amazing bird mesmerizes with its beauty. She sleeps on one leg, eats crayfish, and her plumage ranges from pale pink to bright carrot. Flamingos are one of the most amazing birds on the planet.

There are 6 species of flamingos on Earth. The pink flamingo is the largest and most widespread species. Each individual is about 1.5 meters high and weighs up to 4 kilograms. The smallest type of flamingo is the Lesser Flamingo, less than a meter in height and weighing less than 2.5 kilograms.

The flamingo is a very ancient bird species. Interestingly, their remains were found in places that are now not typical for flamingos - some parts of Europe, Australia and North America. Recently, scientists have singled out flamingos from the order of Storks into a separate group, and named it Flamingos.

Flamingos have a massive, downward curved beak, which has a movable lower part, which distinguishes it from other birds. Males are generally larger than females and have much longer legs. The average age of flamingos is about 30 years. In reserves and zoos, these birds live longer than in the wild.

It is curious that pink flamingos acquire an unusual color thanks to food. Flamingos feed on crustaceans and algae, and the substance they contain, a carotenoid, stains their feathers ruddy. These birds have excellent appetite, flamingos usually eat up to a quarter of their own weight per day. There have been cases when, in order to brighten the natural shade of birds, they were fed carrots in zoos.

Flamingo populations can often be found near lakes with a very salty and alkaline composition. In such reservoirs, the favorite food of flamingos - crustaceans - lives. Flamingos are resistant to large temperature fluctuations; they can be found even in high-mountain lakes.

Many are interested in why flamingos have the habit of sleeping on one leg? They use this technique to save energy and preserve heat. Flamingos' legs are not covered with feathers, so the plates freeze in the wind, trying to warm one after another in turn. In fact, their body is designed in such a way that the flamingo easily stands on one leg, keeps it straight, without using muscular strength.

Flamingo families usually have one chick. They are born gray and remain so until 2 years old. The male and female secrete special glands that feed the chicks in the first months of life.

It is difficult to imagine a more amazing and unusual bird rather than flamingos. The color of the plumage of different species can vary greatly from delicate pink, orange to deep red. In addition, the attention is drawn to the long legs and unusual curved beak of the bird. Flamingos are famous for their grace and sophisticated beauty. It deserves to learn more about its habitat, breeding and feeding habits.

Description of graceful birds

The most common species is the common flamingo, or, as it is also called, pink. The bird belongs to the flamingo order. Description of flamingos should start with the fact that this species is the largest. The bird resembles a creature from Garden of Eden... Despite the fact that she can most often be seen walking along the shore of the reservoir, she swims beautifully. The unusual color of the flamingos is impossible not to notice. In adult males and females, the main plumage is pale pink, the wings are purple-red, and the flight feathers are black. The skin on long and thin legs also has a pink undertone. The bird has a large, as if broken in the middle, beak with a black tip.

When describing flamingos, one cannot fail to mention that they are somewhat similar to storks, cranes, herons. But they have no kinship with these birds. Flamingos' closest relatives are common geese. Previously, they even belonged to the Anseriformes detachment. On average, a flamingo weighs several kilograms and has a webbing between the front toes.

The type of pink flamingo can be safely called exotic, due to the unique shade of plumage. The birds gracefully and gracefully hold their necks like a question mark. Very often you can see how these representatives of birds stand on one leg. In order not to freeze, they alternately squeeze and hide one leg in their plumage. People find this situation difficult and uncomfortable, but for them it is very simple.

Around the eyes of the pink flamingo, small red rings and a bridle are "drawn". The body is rounded, the tail is short. The bird is quite large, the body length is 120-130 cm. Adults can reach a weight of 4 kg. Each foot has four toes and three connective membranes.

Why are flamingos so beautiful, which determines the pink color of their plumage? This color in these birds is due to lipochromes (fatty pigments or carotenes) that they receive from food. Flamingos eat red crustaceans, which are rich in carotene. Food is obtained by filtering water and silt with a beak. In zoos, these birds are just as beautiful, because foods rich in carotene are specially added to their food: carrots, bell peppers, shellfish.

Flamingo habitats

Common flamingos can be found in different parts of the world. Many are anxious to find out where the flamingo lives. They can be found in Africa, southwest Asia. This bird also lives in southern Europe - in France, in Sardinia, in Spain. Flamingos always attract tourists.

Also birds can be found in African countries such as Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania, Kenya, Cape Verde. They also live in the south of Afghanistan, in the north-west of India, Sri Lanka. These birds also flaunt on several lakes of Kazakhstan.

Where do flamingos live in Russia? It is important to note that birds do not nest on the territory of the Russian Federation, but only sometimes migrate along the mouths of southern rivers. So, they can sometimes be seen on the Volga and next to other flowing water bodies of the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories. Sometimes they fly to Siberia, Yakutia, Primorye, the Urals, but only in the warm season. They go to winter in Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Iran.

Flamingos are social birds, they live in colonies of varying numbers. For flights, they gather in flocks, and already on the ground they unite in groups. Their favorite habitats are salt lakes, sea lagoons, estuaries, shallow waters. Most often, they roam in large groups in places with a muddy bottom. Some pink flamingo colonies number hundreds of thousands of individuals.

These are sedentary birds, they wander only in order to find places for a favorable living with a sufficient amount of food. Only representatives of northern populations make flights.

Flamingo habitat in different countries differ. The birds are pretty hardy. Their favorite places are salt and alkaline lakes, where there are many crustaceans. Such bodies of water are usually found in the mountains. Birds stand in salt water all day long and do not feel discomfort thanks to the dense skin on their legs. To quench their thirst, they sometimes fly to fresh water springs. Flamingos sleep while standing in the water.

Nutrition

Where does the flamingo live, you already understand, but what does this bird eat? The article has already mentioned small molluscs. Small crustaceans form the basis of the diet. Flamingos also eat the larvae of worms, insects, molluscs, and algae. The birds are looking for all this in shallow water in a thick layer of silt. The beak of these birds has a specific structure, along its edges there are filters, similar to small lamellar combs. He plays the role of a kind of sieve. The flamingo keeps its beak in the upper layers of the water, where there is a lot of plankton. The bird first draws water into it, then closes it and releases liquid through the beak, and swallows food. This process is very fast.

Reproduction

The pink flamingo is a monogamous species that forms pairs that last for life. There are exceptions where some individuals seek out a new mate for each mating season. To incubate chicks, they build nests, which are located in large clusters, very close to each other.

Individuals older than three years are considered sexually mature. However, older birds (5-6 years old) are engaged in the construction of nests. A few months before nesting, mating games take place in couples. Both males and females take part in peculiar dances. This is an amazingly beautiful sight. Large groups of birds move in unison with straightened necks and head raised upward, which is constantly twisted from side to side. When choosing a partner, the color of the plumage plays an important role. The decision remains with the female, she chooses the male. The intensity of the color indicates the health of the bird, good appetite. The brighter it is, the more chances the males have that the female will choose them.

Those couples that took place earlier do not take part in the dances. Migratory birds arrange mating demonstrations in places of rest. As soon as they arrive at the nesting sites, they immediately start building nests. They have been doing this for two weeks.

How do flamingos build nests?

The nest building process is unique and laborious. For breeding, flamingos are erected in shallow water from silt and clay, cone-shaped structures resembling small mounds about 60 cm high. Both the female and the male are engaged in construction. They do not lay many eggs, most often 2-3 eggs in a clutch. Parents take turns incubating chicks for thirty days. Chicks hatch quite independent and active. Within a few days they become full members of the colony.

Parents feed the chick with special bird milk, which is formed in their upper esophagus. This milk is also pink in color. It is produced not only by females, but also by males. The hatched chicks are covered with white fluff, which turns gray over time. First, the cubs fall into a kind of Kindergarten, which even has educators. Parents at this time are busy looking for food. In such a nursery, there can be up to 200 cubs. Parents recognize babies by their voice. The cubs begin to feed on their own two months later, when the beak grows. At three months, young flamingos are already outwardly similar to adult birds.

Flamingo species

Currently, five species are known. The islands in the Caribbean and the Galapagos are home to red flamingos. The color of their plumage can go up to purple and bright red.

Dwarf or lesser flamingos live off the shores of the Persian Gulf, as well as in areas near the salt lakes of Kenya and Tanzania. Their body length reaches only 80 cm. High in the Andes there are salt lakes where Andean flamingos live. Their plumage is white-pink, less often scarlet. The very rare James Flamingos live in Bolivia and northern Argentina. They feed on diatoms. Chilean flamingos can be seen in South America. The wings of these birds have a red tint.

The dangerous life of flamingos in the wild

The natural threat to flamingos is predators: foxes, jackals, wolves. Also, predatory birds, such as eagles, pose a certain danger to colonies. Sensing danger, flamingos fly away. For takeoff, they need a takeoff run, which they can carry out both in water and on land. Since flamingos keep in groups, it is difficult for predators to choose one specific prey, and the colorful wings prevent them from focusing. V wildlife birds live up to 30 years, in captivity - up to 40.

The ancestors of flamingos lived on the planet 30 million years ago.
The plumage of birds can be not only pink, but also red and even crimson.
For takeoff, they run 5-6 meters on the water.
In flight, they take the shape of a cross, stretching their legs and neck.
The parents-to-be sit on the nest with their legs tucked in, and get out of it, resting their beak on the ground.

Protection of different types of flamingos

Due to poaching and economic activities In humans, the world's populations of flamingos have declined markedly. In the International Red Book, they still have the status of Least Concern. For a long time, some species were generally considered extinct. So, James's flamingos were found only in 1957. Many countries of the world have listed flamingos in their Red Data Books.

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