Flamingo Facts for Kids

A Flamingo
  • Name: Flamingo
  • Order: Phoenicopteriformes
  • Family: Phoenicopteridae
  • Genus: Phoenicopterus
  • Total Living Species: 6
  • Diet: Omnivore
  • Weight: Between 5.5 and 7.7 pounds

16 Flamingo Facts for Kids

  1. Flamingos are wading birds that are members of the Phoenicopteridae family.
  2. There are eight known living species of flamingos worldwide.
  3. Flamingos that are native to Africa, Asia, and Europe are known as Old World flamingos.
  4. Flamingos that are native to North and South America are known as New World flamingos.
  5. The four living species of New World flamingos. They’re the Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis), James’s flamingo (Phoenicoparrus jamesi), Andean flamingo (Phoenicoparrus andinus) and American flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber).
  6. The two living species of Old World flamingos. They’re the Greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) and the Lesser flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor).
  7. Flamingos are commonly pink, but can come in other colors, such as white, orange and cream.
  8. The color of a flamingo is determined by its diet.
  9. Flamingos are omnivores and eat a wide variety of aquatic animals, insects and algae.
  10. Flamingos are social birds and live in colonies, and some of these colonies can contain thousands of flamingos.
  11. The largest colony of flamingos has over one million individuals in East Africa.
  12. The height of a flamingo varies by species and can be as short as 3 feet and as tall as 5 feet.
  13. The weight of a flamingo varies by species and can be as light as 5.5 pounds and as heavy as 8 pounds.
  14. It’s common to see a flamingo standing on one leg, with the other tucked under its body. No one knows why they do this, but one theory it is to help the flamingo conserve body heat.
  15. The flamingo with the world record for the longest lifespan belongs to Greater. Greater was a greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) living at the Adelaide Zoo in Adelaide, Australia. When it died on January 30th, 2014, it was at least 83 years old.
  16. The national bird of the Bahamas is the flamingo.

Additional Resources with Flamingo Facts

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