Bird+of+the+Week+--+Flamingo

 Greater Flamingo
(Poenicopterus roseus)



__How to Recognize a Greater Flamingo__: 40-50 inches tall, 4-8 lbs, pink-white plummage, bright pink legs, beak is pink with black tip __Wingspan__: roughly 60 inches __Lifespan__: 60 + years in captivity __Vocalization__: [] __Diet__: omnivorous: small shrimp, seeds, algae, mollusks; filter feeders __Habitat__: mudflats, fresh and saltwater marshes, and shallow coastal lagoons; Africa, Southern Europe, Southwestern Asia __Fun Facts__: Shrimp and the like are the cause of the flamingo's pink colouring.A bunch of flamingoes is called a "colony". The word "flamingo" comes from the Latin word for "flame".