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

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

Flamingo Message

Flamingo is big bird with red or pink feathers, with long legs and a long, slightly curved beak. The largest flamingo in the world is Pink Flamingo, which reaches a height of 1.2-1.5 meters and weighs about 3.5 kilograms. The smallest flamingo is the Small Flamingo, which reaches a length of 0.8 meters and weighs 2.5 kilograms. It is noteworthy that the Pink flamingo has the palest feather colors, but the Caribbean flamingos are known for their bright, almost red feathers.

They come from an ancient kind of bird. Their ancestors looked like modern flamingos. Archaeological excavations have shown that these birds appeared on Earth a very long time ago. It is 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 piercing 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 birds eat. What do you think, what do flamingos eat? They eat shrimp and algae, since this particular food contains orange carotenoids, which are transformed into red pigments during digestion.

When eating flamingos, they lower their heads under water, draw in water with their beaks and sift the foods they eat. Water exits through the beak. This is facilitated by small filters similar to hairs. 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 compared to other bird species.

Flamingo Lifestyle

During mating, pairs are created, but for one season. The female builds a nest with the male. In the season, the male lays only one egg, which both parents “take care of”. After the hatching of the chick, they feed it together and are responsible for it. The nest is built of mud. It is up to 0.3 meters high. This protects it from very hot earth surfaces and floods.

The chick has gray feathers, pink legs and a beak. Feathers acquire a characteristic pink color at the age of 2. In the nest, babies stay for 5-12 days. Parents feed them with 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?

The birthplace of flamingos is South and North America, Asia and Africa. Archaeological excavations have shown that birds used to live in Australia, Europe. Life expectancy in the natural habitat is 20-30 years, and live in captivity for more than 30 years. They prefer to settle with small salt lakes, on the shallows, and next to the estuaries, in coastal lagoons.

Types of Flamingos

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

Why are flamingos listed in the Red Book?

Some species of birds are on the verge of extinction. These are Lesser Flamingos, Chilean Flamingos, James Flamingos, Andean Flamingos. The reduction in flamingo numbers is due to human activities.

Flamingos are formed by the largest flocks of birds on the planet. They number more than a million individuals.
Only Andean flamingos have yellow legs. In other species, they are pink.
In ancient Rome, the language of flamingos was valued as a delicacy.
Flamingo eggs are a recognized delicacy in the world.
Scientists are still wondering why flamingos stand on one leg. According to one version, they stretch their legs out of cold water to save heat and spend less. According to another version, they rest in a pose 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 supplement the story about flamingos through the comment form below.

Lat. Phoenicopterus roseus, one of the subspecies of the common flamingo. Plumage in adults of a light pink hue. Pink flamingos are the most common type of flamingo. This bird is included in the category of rare species and is listed in the Red 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, and the wings are black. Up to three years old flamingos have a gray tint. The beak is pink and black at the base. The margins of the beak and beak are framed by horny plates and denticles. They form a filtering apparatus. The size of an adult bird reaches 130 cm. Weight on average 2100-4100 g. Flamingo is the owner of the longest neck and longest legs relative to the body among all representatives of the order of birds. There are 4 toes on the feet, of which three front ones are united by the swimming membrane. In flamingos, the upper part of the beak is mobile, and the lower part is not, which distinguishes it from most birds. Life expectancy of flamingos is amazing: about 30 years.

Habitat

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

Character, lifestyle and nutrition

Flamingos feed mainly on small crustaceans and their eggs. They can also feed on mollusks, arthropod larvae, and worms. They hunt in shallow water, where prey is clearly visible. Entering the water, flamingos lower their heads to the bottom and dig 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 should eat about a quarter of its own weight per day. Due to the carotenoid pigments found in food, the plumage of flamingos remains pink. If these pigments are not enough, the color of the bird turns pale.

Breeding

The nesting period of these birds is colonial. They build nests from silt. Nest in the form of a conical column, measuring approximately 50 cm in diameter and up to 60 cm in height. In each recess in the cone, the female lays one egg. During the incubation period, which lasts about a month, flamingos renew the nest, raking new portions of silt. Therefore, over time, a hole in the soil forms around the nest. From 1 to 3 eggs can be found in one nest. Both parents incubate them for about a month. In the future, both the male and the female 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, the chicks sit in the nest for about 4 days. Then they come down and live near the nest. First, the chick is covered with white down. But after a month he becomes grayish. Chicks can see from the very beginning and have a straight beak.

Interesting facts about flamingos

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

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 are large shallow lakes, lagoons, mangrove swamps, 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. A flamingo has such a peculiar appearance that in any given area it will probably be the highest, pink bird. They have winding necks, slender legs and a beak with a black tip that bends 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 mouths 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 in icy lakes in the Andes mountains.
Their beautiful color comes from algae, diatoms and small crustaceans, which they eat and which are rich in carotene.
They have an interesting feeding technique: they muddle water and mud with long legs and webbed feet. Then they immerse 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, hold and eat plankton, fish and tiny larvae of flies. When fed, flamingos hold their breath.
Flamingos tend to preen, which takes a considerable amount of time every day. They preen using their beak, which distributes the fat from the iron at the base of the tail onto their feathers.
Unlike their appearance, 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. A large number provides safety from predators, especially when they feed upside down under water. In addition, they do not nest if there are other flamingos around.
Flamingos bear equal responsibility in raising children. Both male and 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 hatch in turn, a chick with gray or white plumage hatches from the egg.
Both parents process the food that is given to the baby, and the mother and father secrete milk-like substances, which ensures their chick proper nutrition. This continues until the beak of the chick is fully formed and he can get food.
A flock of flamingos is a truly magnificent sight. They gain speed to take off and flap their wings almost continuously during the flight. A flock can reach 31 to 37 mph.
Recently, changes in the nature of flamingo migration have manifested themselves as a result of environmental changes and global warming. These birds travel easily over long distances and can cover more than 300 miles in one night.

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

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

On Earth, there are 6 types of flamingos. Pink flamingos are the largest and most common species. Each individual has a height of about 1.5 meters and weighs up to 4 kilograms. The smallest type of flamingo is Lesser Flamingo, less than a meter in height and its weight does not exceed 2.5 kilograms.

Flamingos are a very ancient species of birds. 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 identified flamingos from the order Ciconiiformes in a separate group, and called it Flamingos.

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

It is curious that the pink flamingo acquires an unusual color thanks to food. Flamingos feed on crustaceans and algae, and the substance they contain, the carotenoid, stains their feathers in a rosy color. The appetite of these birds is excellent, flamingos usually eat up to a quarter of their own weight per day. There were times 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 differences, they can be found even on high mountain lakes.

Many people wonder where flamingos get the habit of sleeping on one leg. They use this technique to save energy and maintain heat. The legs of the flamingos are not covered with feathers, so the tiles freeze in the wind, trying to take turns warming one or the other. In fact, their body is designed so that the flamingo easily stands on one leg, holds it straight, without using muscular strength.

In flamingo families, there is usually one chick. They are born gray and remain up to 2 years old. Male and female secrete special glands, which feed the chicks in the first months of life.

It is hard to imagine a more amazing and unusual bird than flamingos. The color of the plumage of different species can vary greatly from a delicate pink, orange to a rich red hue. In addition, attention is attracted by long legs and an unusual curved beak of a bird. Flamingo is famous for grace and sophisticated beauty. He deserves to learn more about his habitats, the characteristics of reproduction and nutrition.

Description of graceful birds

The most common species is ordinary 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 a reservoir, she swims beautifully. The unusual color of flamingos is impossible not to notice. In adult males and females, the main plumage has a pale pink hue, the wings are purplish-red, and the feathers are black. The skin on long and thin legs also has a pink undertones. The bird has a large beak with a black tip, as if broken in the middle.

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. The closest relatives of flamingos are ordinary geese. Previously, they even entered the anseriformes. On average, a flamingo weighs several kilograms and has a membrane between the front toes.

The kind of pink flamingo can be called exotic, due to the unique shade of plumage. Birds gracefully and gracefully hold their necks, looking 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 draw in and hide one leg in their plumage. This situation seems difficult and uncomfortable for people, but for them it is very simple.

Around the eyes of the pink flamingo are “painted” small red rings and a bridle. The body is round, the tail is short. The bird is quite large, the body length is 120-130 cm. Adult individuals can reach a weight of 4 kg. Each foot has four fingers and three connecting membranes.

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

Flamingo habitats

Ordinary flamingos can be found in different parts of the world. Many are eager to find out where flamingos live. They can be found in Africa, in southwest Asia. This bird lives in southern Europe - in France, in Sardinia, in Spain. Places where flamingos live always attract tourists.

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

Where do flamingos live in Russia? It is important to note that in the territory of the Russian Federation birds do not nest, but only occasionally migrate along the mouths of the 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 various numbers. For flights, they gather in flocks, and already on earth unite in groups. Their favorite habitats are salt lakes, sea lagoons, estuaries, and shallow water. Most often they roam in large groups in places with a muddy bottom. Some pink flamingo colonies have hundreds of thousands of individuals.

These are sedentary birds, they wander only to find places for a favorable stay with enough food. Flights are made only by representatives of northern populations.

The living conditions of flamingos in different countries are different. 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 all day in salt water and do not feel discomfort due to the dense skin on their legs. To quench their thirst, they sometimes fly to sources with fresh water. Flamingos sleep standing in the water.

Nutrition

Where flamingos live you already understand, but what does this bird eat? The article has already mentioned small mollusks. Small crustaceans form the basis of the diet. Flamingos are also eaten by larvae of worms, insects, mollusks, and algae. All these birds seek 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 plate scallops. He plays the role of a kind of sieve. Flamingos keep their 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 the food. This process is very fast.

Breeding

Pink flamingos are monogamous species that form pairs that last a lifetime. There are exceptions when some individuals are looking for a new partner for each mating season. To hatch the chicks, they build nests, which are located in large clusters, very close to each other.

Persons older than three years are considered sexually mature. However, older birds (5-6 years old) are engaged in the construction of nests. A couple of months before nesting, pairs play mating games. 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 a raised head, which is constantly turned from side to side. When choosing a partner, the color of plumage plays an important role. The decision is left to the female; she selects the male. The intensity of the color indicates the health of the bird, a good appetite. The brighter it is, the more chances the males have for the female to choose them.

Those couples that took place earlier do not take part in dances. Migratory birds arrange mating demonstrations in recreational areas. As soon as they arrive at the nesting sites, they immediately begin to build nests. They have been doing this for two weeks.

How do flamingos build nests?

Unique and time-consuming is the process of building nests. To breed flamingos, conical structures are constructed in shallow water from silt and clay, resembling small mounds about 60 cm high. Both the female and the male are involved in the construction. They do not lay many eggs, most often in the clutch 2-3 pieces. Parents take turns hatching 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 part of the esophagus. This milk also has a pink color. It is produced not only by females, but also by males. Hatched chicks are covered with white fluff, which eventually turns gray. First, the cubs fall into a peculiar kindergartenin which there are even educators. Parents are busy searching for food at this time. In such a manger can be up to 200 cubs. Parents recognize the kids by voice. On their own, the cubs begin to eat after two months, when the beak grows. At three months, young flamingos already look like adult birds.

Types of Flamingos

Five species are currently known. Red flamingos live on islands in the Caribbean and the Galapagos. The color of their plumage can reach a purple and bright red hue.

Dwarf or small flamingos live off the coast 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. In Bolivia and in the north of Argentina, very rare James flamingos live. They feed on diatoms. In South America, you can see Chilean flamingos. The wings of these birds have a red tint.

Dangerous life of flamingos in the wild

The natural threat of flamingos is predators: foxes, jackals, wolves. Also a certain danger to the colonies is represented by predatory birds, for example, such as eagles. Sensing danger, flamingos fly away. To take off, they need an takeoff, which they can carry out both in water and on land. Since flamingos are held in groups, it is difficult for predators to choose one specific prey, and the motley wings prevent them from focusing. In the wild, 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 raspberry.
For takeoff, they run through the water 5-6 meters.
In flight, they take the form of a cross, stretching their legs and neck.
Future parents sit on a nest with their legs tightened, and get up from it, resting their beak on the ground.

Protection of different types of flamingos

In connection with poaching and economic activities of people, the world's flamingo populations have declined markedly. In the International Red Book, they still have the status of “Least Concern”. Some species have long been generally considered extinct. So, James flamingos were found only in 1957. Many countries of the world entered flamingos in their Red Books.

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