Back to photostream

Flamingo

The word ‘flamingo’ comes from the Spanish word ‘flamenco’ meaning fire, which refers to the bright pink or orange colour of the feathers.Flamingos are pink on the inside, too. These flamboyant birds are adapted to collect and metabolise carotenoid pigments – the chemicals found in algae, crustaceans and microscopic plant materials that form tones of orange, red, yellow and pink. Though the pink coloration is most obvious in a flamingo’s plumage, the carotenoids spread a lot further. Flamingo skin is pink and flamingo blood is pink.

3,842 views
151 faves
326 comments
Uploaded on November 6, 2019
Taken on August 16, 2015