The greater flamingo, Phoenicopterus roseus, is the most widespread species of the flamingo family. It is a large bird, averaging 110-150 cm in height and weighing 2-4 kg. The largest male flamingos have been recorded at up to 187 cm tall and 4.5kg in weight. The bird is prevalent in Africa, on the Indian subcontinent, in the Middle East, and southern Europe.
Like all flamingos, the greater flamingo lays a single chalky-white egg on a mud mound. The bill is pink with a restricted black tip, and the legs are completely pink. The greater flamingo is mostly pinkish-white, but the wing coverts are red, and the primary and secondary flight feathers are black. The call of the greater flamingo is similar to a goose-like honking.
The greater flamingo feeds by stirring up mud with its feet and sucking water through its bill to filter out small shrimp, seeds, blue-green algae, microscopic organisms, and mollusks. The bird feeds with its head down, and its upper jaw is movable and not rigidly fixed to its skull. Secretions of the uropygial gland also contain carotenoids, which contribute to the bird’s pink coloration. During the breeding season, greater flamingos amplify the frequency of their spreading uropygial secretions over their feathers to enhance their color. This cosmetic use of secretions has been compared to applying “make-up.”
Sub-adult flamingos are a whitish-grey shade and only attain the pink coloration several years into their adult life. The coloration comes from the carotenoid pigments in the organisms that live in their feeding grounds. The greater flamingo resides in mudflats and shallow coastal lagoons with saltwater.
The greater flamingo is found in parts of Africa, southern Asia, the Middle East, and southern Europe. In Germany, the most northern breeding spot is the Zwillbrocker Venn, close to the border with the Netherlands. In the United Arab Emirates, they have been recorded breeding in three different locations in the Abu Dhabi Emirate. In Gujarat, a state of India, flamingos can be observed at the Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary, Flamingo City, and the Thol Bird Sanctuary. They remain here during the entire winter season.
Posted by siddharthx on 2018-02-11 12:05:06