Their regular feathers will grow in between 6 and 10 months old. Parents feed the chick with ‘crop milk’ which is created by the parents in their crop and dripped in to the chicks bill.īy 28-42 days old they will begin to feed themselves independently but the parents will supplement their diet until fledging at 9-13 weeks old. They will first leave the nest at 5-8 days old. This will develop its curve by two weeks old. These are incubated for between 27 and 31 days by both parents.Īt hatching the young are covered with white or grey down feathers and the bill is straight. This nest is made to be high enough to protect it against flooding.Ī single white egg is laid with two being laid on rare occasions. Occasionally twigs and roots are used to form the nest. In areas without mud they may use stones to form the nest. They will form a nest by scooping mud up with their lower jaw in to a small, cone-shaped mound. These displays help to synchronize the breeding of the group so they all lay their eggs at the same time. They perform a courtship display where they open their wings and turn their heads in a synchronized movement. Pairs create lasting bonds which will remain for multiple breeding seasons. The breeding season is highly variable among different populations with rainfall being the most important cue to breeding. The filter which helps them to feed also prevent them consuming too much salt which would be toxic. This is swept from side to side to collect food and water in it. The crustaceans in their diet are responsible for the bright pink color.įood is filtered from the water using their downward sweeping bill. They feed on organic ooze, worms, nematodes, mollusks, crustaceans, insects, larvae and small fish. They have a wingspan of between 37 and 42.5cm (14.6-16.7in) across.

Males weigh 2.8kg (6.1lbs) on average while females weigh 2.2.kg (4.8lbs). On average an American flamingo will stand between 120 and 145cm (47-57in) tall.

The upper bill is often lighter in color. Their bill features a curve and has a black tip with a pink/orange mid-section and a yellow base. The legs end with a foot with three webbed toes with the fourth toe being small or missing. They have long, slender legs and a flexible, curved neck which ends with the relatively small head. This color comes from pigment in the food which they eat such as algae and shrimp. They are considered the brightest of the flamingoes and their color may be red, pink or orange. These cover most of their body but the tips of the wings are black. Like all flamingoes the American flamingo is notable for its bright pink plumage.