View allAll Photos Tagged Greater_flamingo
Walvis Bay, Namibia
Greater Flamingo in the front, whiter with a mostly pink bill and Lesser Flamingos in the back, pinker with mostly dark bills.
Phoenicopterus roseus
It was good to get a chance to photograph these distinctive birds in flight at fairly close range....
I had spent three weeks in the Rio Formosa Nature Reserve area in the Qunta do Lago area in the Algarve region searching for these elusive flamingos. Thanks to a fellow Canadian from London Ontario I finally got to to see these magnificent birds from quite the distance.
Not a good photo but none the less a photograph of these Greater Flamingo feeding in a marsh area located off the Sao Lourenco trail in the Parque Atlantico in Quinta do Lago Almancil in the Algarve region of Portugal.
The greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) is the most widespread and largest species of the flamingo family. It is found in Africa, on the Indian subcontinent, in the Middle East, and in southern Europe.
This is the largest species of flamingo, averaging 110–150 cm (43–59 in) tall and weighing 2–4 kg (4.4–8.8 lb). The largest male flamingos have been recorded at up to 187 cm (74 in) tall and 4.5 kg (9.9 lb). It is closely related to the American flamingo and Chilean flamingo, with which it has sometimes been considered conspecific.
Subadult with gray white coloration
Like all flamingos, this species lays a single chalky-white egg on a mud mound. Most of the plumage is pinkish white, but the wing coverts are red and the primary and secondary flight feathers are black. The bill is pink with a restricted black tip, and the legs are entirely pink. The call is a goose-like honking.
Subadult flamingos are whitish grey and only attain the pink coloration several years into their adult life. The coloration comes from the carotenoid pigments in the organisms that live in their feeding grounds. Secretions of the uropygial gland also contain carotenoids. During the breeding season, greater flamingos increase the frequency of their spreading uropygial secretions over their feathers and thereby enhance their color. This cosmetic use of uropygial secretions has been described as applying "make-up".
The bird resides in mudflats and shallow coastal lagoons with salt water. Using its feet, the bird stirs up the mud, then sucks water through its bill and filters out small shrimp, seeds, blue-green algae, microscopic organisms, and mollusks. The greater flamingo feeds with its head down, and its upper jaw is movable and not rigidly fixed to its skull.
For more information, please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_flamingo
Walvis Bay, Namibia
The bird resides in mudflats and shallow coastal lagoons with salt water. Using its feet, the bird stirs up the mud, then sucks water through its bill and filters out small shrimp, seeds, blue-green algae, microscopic organisms, and mollusks. The greater flamingo feeds with its head down, and its upper jaw is movable and not rigidly fixed to its skull.[4]
The greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) is the most widespread and largest species of the flamingo family. It is found in Africa, on the Indian subcontinent, in the Middle East, and in southern Europe.
This is the largest species of flamingo, averaging 110–150 cm (43–59 in) tall and weighing 2–4 kg (4.4–8.8 lb). The largest male flamingos have been recorded at up to 187 cm (74 in) tall and 4.5 kg (9.9 lb). It is closely related to the American flamingo and Chilean flamingo, with which it has sometimes been considered conspecific.
Subadult with gray white coloration
Like all flamingos, this species lays a single chalky-white egg on a mud mound. Most of the plumage is pinkish white, but the wing coverts are red and the primary and secondary flight feathers are black. The bill is pink with a restricted black tip, and the legs are entirely pink. The call is a goose-like honking.
Subadult flamingos are whitish grey and only attain the pink coloration several years into their adult life. The coloration comes from the carotenoid pigments in the organisms that live in their feeding grounds. Secretions of the uropygial gland also contain carotenoids. During the breeding season, greater flamingos increase the frequency of their spreading uropygial secretions over their feathers and thereby enhance their color. This cosmetic use of uropygial secretions has been described as applying "make-up".
The bird resides in mudflats and shallow coastal lagoons with salt water. Using its feet, the bird stirs up the mud, then sucks water through its bill and filters out small shrimp, seeds, blue-green algae, microscopic organisms, and mollusks. The greater flamingo feeds with its head down, and its upper jaw is movable and not rigidly fixed to its skull.
For more information, please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_flamingo
Greater Flamingos are found in a variety of saltwater habitats including salt or alkaline lakes, estuaries, shallow coastal lagoons and mudflats. The Greater Flamingo rarely inhabits areas of freshwater other than using freshwater inlets for bathing and drinking. Greater Flamingos that live outside the tropics often migrate to warmer climates for the winter months.
First year and older flamingo flying in sync.
The greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) is the most widespread and largest species of the flamingo family. It is found in Africa, on the Indian subcontinent, in the Middle East, and in southern Europe.
This is the largest species of flamingo, averaging 110–150 cm (43–59 in) tall and weighing 2–4 kg (4.4–8.8 lb). The largest male flamingos have been recorded at up to 187 cm (74 in) tall and 4.5 kg (9.9 lb). It is closely related to the American flamingo and Chilean flamingo, with which it has sometimes been considered conspecific.
Subadult with gray white coloration
Like all flamingos, this species lays a single chalky-white egg on a mud mound. Most of the plumage is pinkish white, but the wing coverts are red and the primary and secondary flight feathers are black. The bill is pink with a restricted black tip, and the legs are entirely pink. The call is a goose-like honking.
Subadult flamingos are whitish grey and only attain the pink coloration several years into their adult life. The coloration comes from the carotenoid pigments in the organisms that live in their feeding grounds. Secretions of the uropygial gland also contain carotenoids. During the breeding season, greater flamingos increase the frequency of their spreading uropygial secretions over their feathers and thereby enhance their color. This cosmetic use of uropygial secretions has been described as applying "make-up".
The bird resides in mudflats and shallow coastal lagoons with salt water. Using its feet, the bird stirs up the mud, then sucks water through its bill and filters out small shrimp, seeds, blue-green algae, microscopic organisms, and mollusks. The greater flamingo feeds with its head down, and its upper jaw is movable and not rigidly fixed to its skull.
For more information, please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_flamingo
Tagus Estuary Nature Reserve, Portugal
phoenicopterus roseus
gewone flamingo
flamant rose
Rosaflamingo
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The greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) is the most widespread and largest species of the flamingo family. It is found in Africa, the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, and in southern Europe.
The greater flamingos in Cape Town can often be seen with their heads down in the mud or submerged in shallow water treading around in a circular fashion. In doing so they filter algae and organisms from the mud and water through their beaks and it is said that their pinkish colour is a result of the pigments in some of their diet of shrimp and some algae.
The greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) is the most widespread and largest species of the flamingo family. It is found in Africa, on the Indian subcontinent, in the Middle East, and in southern Europe).
Adult flamingos have few natural predators. The primary threats to flamingo populations are bacteria, toxins, and pollution in water supplies, which is usually run-off from manufacturing companies, and encroachment on their habitat.
dal finestrino dell'auto con pioggia intensa, cielo cupo e nuvoloso
Sono ormai tre fine settimana che le condizioni meteorologiche mi sono avverse, sono uscito presto questa mattina, e lungo la strada le gocce di pioggia sul cristallo dell’auto mi hanno accompagnato per tutto il viaggio. E’ passata mezz’ora dopo l’alba, e la luce fatica ad arrivare, procedo con cautela nei viottoli tra gli acquitrini, riesco a fare qualche foto solo bagnandomi il braccio fuori dal finestrino, sono un testardo e non mollo ! La mia mattinata procede così ! qui nelle zone umide di Lio piccolo vicino a Cavallino di Venezia, tra uno scatto e un riparo dentro la macchina, ma alla fine porto a casa anche un soggetto mai incontrato prima, uno Spioncello detto la pispola di montagna ……. sono contento anche se un po bagnato ….. sorrido mentre torno verso casa …
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Family: Phoenicopteridae
Length: 1.2 to 1.45m Wingspan: 1.4 to 1.7m Weight: 3 to 4kg (Males tend to be larger than females). Lifespan: Averaging between 30 to 40 years. (In captivity, The Greater Flamingo has been known to live 50 to 60 years plus).
This is the largest living species of Flamingo and is found in parts of North Africa, Southern Asia, (mainly around the coastal regions of India and Pakistan). In Europe, they are more locally around the Southern parts of Europe, from Spain, Portugal, along the coastal regions of Southern France, as well as other southern and Eastern countries, bordering on the Mediterranean coast line; also found in the Middle Eastern countries.
Habitat: Found in a variety of saltwater habitats, especially shallow coastal lagoons, salt pans, mudflats, also alkaline lakes. Flamingos maybe even be seen feeding from freshwater inlets and lakes.
Some of the Flamingos natural habitats are under threat, mainly due to building developments close by, especially pollution from manufacturing Industries that produce chemical wastes. When pollution is spilled into their natural water supplies, the habitat can instantly die!
Here in Spain, The Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) are seen in large numbers on the Salt lakes in Santa Pola, Alicante.
Flamingos are social birds, they will be seen mainly in flocks, (Flamingo flocks are referred to as a ‘colony,’ or a ‘stand’).
Feeding:
Greater Flamingos are omnivores and are filter-feeders. They usually feed head submerged, with its bill upside down, sieving through the shallow water for small crustaceans. This is achieved by sucking in the water through the partly closed bill, the water is then pushed out by pumping their tongue up and down continuously, (about 5 to 6 times a second) this can last up to 20 seconds while the head is still submerged. It was fascinating observing them as they scuffle their feet, disturbing the underwater sediment, for tiny crustaceans, such as shrimp, molluscs, tiny fish, plankton and insect larvae. Plant material is also eaten, such as decaying leaves, algae, seeds, and small young water plants.
The immature Flamingo lacks the mature Flamingos colourful, pinkish-white body plumage and red wing coverts; also lacking the colourful pink bill, with a black tip. The adults attain their colourful plumage, which mainly comes from their diet of shrimp and other pink crustaceans, living in the warm saltwater.
Nesting: April to May. Consisting of a small pillar/mound of mud, constructed in shallow water, usually safe from land-based predators. One chalky-white egg is laid, both parents take it in turn to incubate the egg, which usually takes between 27 to 31 days to hatch. While the chick is hatching, the parents will help the young chick to break away the shell.
Flamingo nests are plundered, mainly by seagulls, raptors, crows and I suspect herons and egrets will also take the opportunity if a nest is left unattended. Chicks are covered mostly in grey with some white, fluffy down. The new born chick being more vulnerable to predation, in their early days of life. The Chick will be fed entirely by both parents for up to four weeks or more. While feeding, both parents produce a rich creamy pink liquid, this is known as “crop-milk”. A chick will fledge around ten weeks but will remain in the “flamingo creches” for another month. Each chick has its own unique call, remarkably the parent birds are able to distinguish their chicks call, amongst hundreds and sometimes thousands of other young chicks, that are grouped together in these “flamingo creches”. Flamingos have just one brood/chick a year.
Flamingo chicks are grey and white when born and do not develop their pink colouration for around 2 years. The chick is fed for at least the first 3 – 4 weeks entirely by the parents who secrete a creamy pink liquid called ‘crop milk’ which comes from the parents upper digestive tract. Either parent can feed the chick this way and other flamingos can act as foster feeders.
The chicks fledge after 10 weeks, but remain in creches for a further month. The chick is born with a straight bill which starts to curve at about one month and can filter feed properly at two and a half months. Amazingly, the adult flamingo is able to locate its chick from hundreds or thousands of other chicks, by its ‘call’.
Flamingos are fully grown at 2 years and are able to mate at 3 years. Most flamingos will not breed for the first time until they are 5 to 10 years old. Flamingos may not breed when wetlands are dry and food is scarce. Some years, their feeding pools are teeming with life and there is plenty of food with which to feed their chicks. However, other years the pools are nearly empty. As a result, flamingos may only breed when conditions are just right.
The Greater Flamingo can live to the age of over 60 years old in captivity. The average life span in the wild is around 30 – 40 years.