American Flamingo: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Cranes, Flamingos and Herons · day 3 of 7

Five facts

1. Flamingo courtship is a synchronized walk. In high-intensity courtship, pairs move fast with heads dropped in a false feeding posture.
2. A flamingo's beak is hooked downward and built to filter differently sized food out of water.
3. Flamingos mostly drink salt water. A salt gland in the beak lets out the extra salt through the nasal openings.
4. Each flamingo nest holds one chalky-white egg, laid on a mound of mud. Both parents take turns, and it hatches after 28 to 32 days.
5. With a life expectancy of about 40 years, the American flamingo is among the longest-lived birds.

The quiz

1. How do flamingos hold their heads in high-intensity courtship?

• Raised high
• Tucked under a wing
• Stretched sideways
• Dropped, in a false feeding posture (correct)

Flamingo courtship is a synchronized walk. In high-intensity courtship, pairs move fast with heads dropped in a false feeding posture.

2. What is a flamingo's beak built for?

• Filtering food out of water (correct)
• Cracking nuts
• Spearing fish
• Digging burrows

A flamingo's beak is hooked downward and built to filter differently sized food out of water.

3. Where is a flamingo's salt gland?

• Under the wing
• Near the tail
• In the beak (correct)
• In the leg

Flamingos mostly drink salt water. A salt gland in the beak lets out the extra salt through the nasal openings.

4. How many eggs does a flamingo lay?

• Two
• One (correct)
• Four
• Six

Flamingos lay just one egg, on a mound of mud.

5. What is a flamingo's life expectancy?

• 10 years
• 4 years
• 100 years
• 40 years (correct)

It can expect to live about 40 years, one of the longest lifespans among birds.

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