The greater flamingo was described byPeter Simon Pallas in 1811. It was previously thought to be the same species as theAmerican flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), but because of coloring differences of its head, neck, body, and bill, the two flamingos are now most commonly considered separate species. The greater flamingo has no subspecies and is thereforemonotypic.[4]
The greater flamingo is the largest living species of flamingo,[5] 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 to be up to 187 cm (74 in) tall and to weigh 4.5 kg (9.9 lb).[6]
Most of theplumage is pinkish-white, but the wing coverts are red and the primary and secondary flightfeathers are black. Thebill is pink with a restricted black tip, and the legs are entirely pink. The call is a goose-like honking.
Chicks are covered in gray fluffy down. Subadult flamingos are paler with dark legs. Adults feeding chicks also become paler, but retain the bright pink legs. The coloration comes from thecarotenoid pigments in the organisms that live in their feeding grounds. Secretions of theuropygial 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".[7]
The greater flamingo resides inmudflats and shallow coastallagoons with salt water. Using its feet, the bird stirs up the mud, then sucks water through its bill and filters out smallshrimp,brine shrimp, other crustaceans, seeds (such asrice),blue-green algae, microscopic organisms (such asdiatoms), insect larvae (such aschironomids), andmollusks.[11] The greater flamingo feeds with its head down, its upper jaw movable and not rigidly fixed to its skull.[12]
Like all flamingos, this species lays a single chalky-whiteegg on a mud mound.
Adult greater flamingos have few natural predators. Eggs and chicks may be eaten by raptors, crows, gulls, and themarabou stork (Leptoptilos crumenifer); an estimated half of the predation of greater flamingo eggs and chicks is from theyellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis).[15][16]
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.[citation needed]
The first recorded zoo hatch was in 1959 at Zoo Basel. InZoo Basel's breeding program, over 400 birds have been hatched with between 20 and 27 per year since 2000.[17] Theoldest known greater flamingo was a bird at theAdelaide Zoo in Australia that died at the age of at least 83 years. The bird's exact age is not known; it was already a mature adult when it arrived in Adelaide in 1933. It was euthanized in January 2014 due to complications of old age.[18][19]
^Khan, Shahid; et al. (2017). "Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus): Important wintering sites and breeding records in the United Arab Emirates".Zoology in the Middle East.63 (3):194–201.doi:10.1080/09397140.2017.1331586.S2CID90286615.
^Koshti A.J. and Bony L.S (2016). "Ethology of greater flamingo in captivity", Undergraduate thesis submitted to St.Xavier's College, Ahmedabad, India.
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