Baby Birdorable: Flamingo Week Edition

If you think our Birdorable birds are cute as adults, what about when they are babies? Below are some baby photos (shared via Flickr Creative Commons) of the American Flamingo and Greater Flamingo.

The six species of flamingo have similar nesting habits. They all breed in colonies. Mating rituals involve synchronized dancing. The nest is a pillar or mound of mud. A single chalky-white egg is laid per nesting attempt. Chicks, grey when first hatched, are fed a protein- and fat-rich diet of crop milk by both parents. Baby flamingos leave the nest around 7-12 days after hatching. Young birds gather in a group, called a creche, to evade predation as they grow.

Flamingos do well in captivity and breed if colony conditions are favorable, which include number of birds of breeding age and ratio of males to females. All of the example baby flamingo photos shared below were taken in zoological parks.

American Flamingo Eric Kilby (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Greater Flamingo by Charles Barilleaux (CC BY 2.0)
American Flamingo by Eric Kilby (CC BY-SA 2.0)
American Flamingo by Eric Kilby (CC BY-SA 2.0)
American Flamingo by Heather Paul (CC BY-ND 2.0)
Greater Flamingo by Tambako The Jaguar (CC BY-ND 2.0)
Greater Flamingo by Tambako The Jaguar (CC BY-ND 2.0)
Greater Flamingo by Tambako The Jaguar (CC BY-ND 2.0)
American Flamingo by frank wouters (CC BY 2.0)
American Flamingo by frank wouters (CC BY 2.0)
American Flamingo by Alonso Inostrosa Psijas (CC BY-SA 2.0)
American Flamingo by Eric Kilby (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Comments

Andrew on September 26, 2018 at 4:34 PM wrote:
the greater flamingo is a large bird in south africa
Adella on June 15, 2021 at 7:01 PM wrote:
cute.
Spurwing Plover on July 22, 2022 at 6:44 AM wrote:
In this case the Guys do wear Pink and it comes from what they eat

Leave a comment

Comments with links or HTML will be deleted. Your comment will be published pending approval.
Your email address will not be published

2016 Bonanza Bird #1: Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

It's time for our 2016 Birdorable Bonanza! This time we are commemorating the 10 year anniversary of Birdorable with a 10-bird celebration. Today's new bird is the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, a beautiful species in the kingbird genus and the tyrant flycatcher...

2016 Bonanza Bird #7: Eurasian Golden Oriole

Today's new bird is a golden beauty: the Eurasian Golden Oriole! Eurasian Golden Orioles breed across large parts of Europe and Asia. They are migratory, spending the winter across the southern half of the African continent. During the breeding season they are...

Elegance in Plumage: The Tricolored Heron's Stunning Appearance

Today we introduce a New World species of waterbird. Meet the Birdorable Tricolored Heron! The Tricolored Heron is a mid-sized type of heron named for its plumage of blue-grey, lavender, and white. They can be recognized especially by their white bellies and neck...

Introducing the Birdorable Galapagos Penguin: The Northernmost Penguin in the World

Today we are adding another penguin species to Birdorable: the Galapagos Penguin!This species of penguin has the northernmost range of all penguins, and it is the only penguin species to live north of the equator. The climate on their island...