Birds
Greater flamingo
Phoenicopterus roseus
The greater flamingo is the largest and most widespread of the flamingos, with long legs, a sinuous neck and pinkish plumage. The pink colour comes from the pigments (carotenoids) in the food it filters from the water.
In short
The greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) is a species with IUCN conservation status LC (Least concern). It lives in brackish lagoons, salt pans, alkaline lakes and deltas, feeding upside-down by filtering algae, small invertebrates and crustaceans with its curved bill. Animals in Black offers a fine-art portrait of it on a black background, available as a print on Hahnemühle paper: request the print.
Habitat & conservation
Where does the greater flamingo live?
It lives in brackish lagoons, salt pans, alkaline lakes and deltas, feeding upside-down by filtering algae, small invertebrates and crustaceans with its curved bill. It nests in large colonies on mud islets.
Is the greater flamingo endangered?
The IUCN Red List rates it Least Concern (LC) with an increasing population. Locally it depends on a few key wetlands, sensitive to disturbance, changes in water regime and pollution.
Facts about the greater flamingo
- The pink colour comes from food pigments, not the feathers themselves.
- It feeds upside-down, filtering water with its curved bill.
- It nests in colonies that can number tens of thousands of pairs.
Data source: IUCN Red List — Phoenicopterus roseus (Least Concern) · BirdLife International
RED List
Conservation status codes
- EX Extinct No individuals survive.
- EW Extinct in the wild Survives only in captivity.
- CR Critically endangered Extremely high risk of extinction.
- EN Endangered Very high risk of extinction.
- VU Vulnerable High risk of extinction.
- NT Near threatened Likely to become threatened soon.
- LC Least concern Low risk of extinction.
- DD Data deficient Not enough data to assess.
- NE Not evaluated Not yet assessed by the IUCN.