The family Phoenicopteridae includes 1 species found in North
America. Flamingos occur in Africa, southern Asia, the Andes of
South America, Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, West Indies and the
Galapagos Islands. They are highly social, feeding in groups and
nesting in colonies. They usually inhabit shallow soda lakes and
salt lagoons with an alkaline pH (up to 10.5), in barren country
often surrounded by desert. Flamingos have long legs, long
necks, webbed feet and a bill that is bent in the middle.
Plumage colors change with age, but are mainly rosy pink, red
and white with black flight feathers. The feeding method of
flamingos is unique among birds and has been likened to that of
whalebone whales because of the straining of water and solids
through the lamellae. The head is lowered to the water with the
bent bill held upside down and the bill and head submerged. In
the smaller species the head is swept from side to side, taking
in algae, diatoms and other small organisms. The larger species
take mud and water