~ Flamingos Fishing ~

Flamingos are filter feeders. They walk in the shallow, salty water and stir up the bottom with their long legs. The flamingo then leans its long neck down to the water and scoops up a mouthful of water, then closes its mouth and uses its tongue to force the water through comb-like extensions on the beak that allow the water to escape while retaining food to be swallowed. Flamingos are not picky eaters -- through stomach content analysis, scientists have documented dozens of flamingo foods, including crustaceans, worms, algae, insects, organic debris, plant material and fish. The crustaceans and algae contain carotenoids that produce the birds’ pink coloration. Because the flamingo must use its beak in an upside-down manner, the beak has evolved to reflect this. The flamingo’s top beak functions like the bottom beak of most birds, and vice versa. Flamingos are among the very few animals that are able to move their top jaw while eating.

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