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Chilean Flamingo
Phoenicopterus chilensis
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HABITAT
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Native
to Chile. They prefer mud or salt flats usually void of vegetation. |
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DIET
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Omnivores:
small crustacean, algae, small fish and
unicelluar organisms. |
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LIFE SPAN
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Experts
have not yet determined how long flamingos live.
At the Philadelphia Zoo
a flamingo lived to be 44 years old. |
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OTHER FACTS
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Flamingo sift food from the water with their curved bills.
Their pinkish color is also maintained through their food
supply
Flamingos form huge breeding colonies near a body of water. The nest
is made of mud and is like a hollowed out flattened cone. Only one
egg is laid and incubated by both parents for 28 - 32 days. Instead
of bringing food back to the nest, flamingos secrete a blood-red drool
from the glands in their throats containing fat, protein, carbohydrates,
blood cells and a red pigment that helps turn the feathers pink.
They commonly stand on one leg, alternating every so often for comfort.
Flamingos are good swimmers and fly with their heads and necks extended. |
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