TERRA

Flamingo Distribution Map
The American Flamingo
THE
AMERICAN
FLAMINGO
American Flamingo
Greater Flamingo
Lesser Flamingo
Flamingos are part of the extravagant group of birds that can be rare jet at the same time
extremely beautiful and interesting. Easily recognized because of its long legs and neck, curved beak and
colours, their name comes after the latin word “flama” that means flame because of their bright colourful
red to pink and orange feathers. Thanks to their great adaptability this water birds can be found
in various regions and habitats around the the word from the high cold andes to warm flat lands always
in or near saline or alkaline lakes, lagoons or swamps where they feed.
There are six known species of flamingos, four of them in the Americas and two in the Old World.
Among this species the american flamingo also known as caribbean flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber ruber
is one of the largest most colourful, and the only one that can be found in North America. Its habitat includes
saline lagoons or shallow lakes of the Caribbean, the Yucatan Peninsula and the Galapagos Islands.
The american flamingo feathers are bright pink to reddish and its black-tipped wings can have a wingspan
of about five feet. With is pink legs and long neck reaches about 42 inches tall which comes handy when
wading in deeper waters, as well as its webbed feet that help them to stand still on the mud. Like other
flamingos its beak has a characteristic downward bend which has evolved and specialized according to
their feeding requirements.
AMERICAN FLAMINGO
Yucatan Peninsula
Caribbean
Galapagos Islands
American Flamingo
Andean Flamingo
Chilean Flamingo
James’s Flamingo
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