Why are flamingos pink Is it for camouflage

A. Thanks to Henryn for the question. Flamingos are filter feeders, living off algae and tiny animals that live in the mud. These include shrimps, molluscs and insect larvae and contain pigments called carotenoids, which occur naturally in a many animals and plants. It is these that give flamingos their distinctive pink colour.

Q. So are they pink when they're born

A. No. As buyrite points out in his or her answer: 'Flamingo chicks are born with grey feathers. Why grey Well, that's a built-in protection mechanism known as camouflage. You see, with grey feathers, the young flamingo is able to blend in perfectly with... well, grey stuff.'

In the pink: flamingos

A. The water. Young flamingos become pinker as they grow up. A moulted pink flamingo feather, incidentally, will lose its colour.

Q. So what are they

A. The flamingo is a thin-legged, swan-necked bird that lives in subtropical places, such as brackish lagoons and in the shallow parts of lakes. They have a short tail, large wings, long legs and webbed feet. They can reach 5ft tall and live for 30 years. They are of the Ciconiiformes order that also includes storks, herons, and ibises.

Q. How many types

A. There are five species of flamingos in two subspecies, including: the Caribbean flamingo, the greater flamingo, the Chilean flamingo, the lesser flamingo, the James' flamingo and the Andean flamingo.

Q. How are they different

A. Chilean flamingos (Phoenicopterus chilensis) are slightly smaller than Caribbean flamingos and have grey legs with pink bands at the joints. The lesser flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor) is the smallest, but has the brightest colour. The James' flamingo (Phoenicoparrus jamesi) has all-black flight feathers, which are red in other species. The Andean flamingo (Phoenicoparrus andinus) is the only one with yellow legs and feet. It also has a red spot between the nostrils.

Q. Nesting

A. The conical nest is built by one of a pair that drags mud between its legs with its bill and presses it into shape. The other of the pair stands over the site while this is done. Flamingos usually lay one egg which is incubated for 28 days. The chick is fed by its parents for the first 3-4 weeks. The young do not reach full size until about two years old and sexual maturity is at four years.

Q. What about feeding methods They're unusual, aren't they

A. Yes. When it eats, it dips its head in the water for food, then strains the water and insects through slits in its beak. Flamingos are the only animals that use this method, which is known as filter feeding.

Q. They're not hunted, are they

A. Not any more, I'm happy to report, although colonies are still threatened by noise, such as airports. Flamingo tongues were considered a great delicacy in Roman times and the fad became so popular that the birds wee almost hunted out of existence. The Romans, wisely, made flamingo-hunting illegal.

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By Steve Cunningham