American flamingo
Amazing fact
The American flamingo gets its red or pink feathers from pigments in its food.
Smithsonian National Zoo
No sign-up needed. You can save notes on this device.
An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
The American flamingo gets its red or pink feathers from pigments in its food.
THE REAL WORLD
The real American flamingo
- Scientific name
- Phoenicopterus ruber
- Japanese name
- ベニイロフラミンゴ
- Group
- Birds
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Phoenicopteriformes
- Family
- Phoenicopteridae
- Genus
- Phoenicopterus
Where the name “American flamingo” comes from
The word flamingo comes from Old Spanish for “flaming” or “red feather”.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity WebA flamingo of the Caribbean coasts and the Galápagos Islands. It lives in large flocks.
It stamps its feet to stir up mud underwater, then strains the small creatures that float up through the comb-like edges of its bill.
It builds its nest by heaping up mud. The chicks grow by drinking a red liquid called 'flamingo milk' that their parents bring up from their throats.
How the American flamingo lives
Breeding is closely linked to rainfall, with no fixed breeding season. During courtship, groups open their wings or move their heads in synchronized displays. Newly hatched chicks are covered in white down. Chicks that can walk and swim gather in groups watched over by an unrelated adult.
Smithsonian National ZooBasic data
- Size
- Total length: 120–145 cmWingspan: 140–146 cm
- Weight
- 2,100–4,100 g
- Diet
- Small crustaceans, algae, aquatic plankton, wetland grasses, seeds, soil, and other foods
Where the American flamingo has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- ベニイロフラミンゴ
- 简体中文
- 美洲红鹳
- 繁體中文
- 美洲紅鸛
- 한국어
- 분홍홍학
- Español
- Flamingo
- Français
- Flamant des Caraïbes
- Deutsch
- Kubaflamingo
- Português (Brasil)
- Flamingo-americano
- Italiano
- Fenicottero rosso
- العربية
- نحام الكاريبي
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Flamingo amerika
- Tiếng Việt
- Hồng hạc Mỹ
- Русский
- Красный фламинго
- Türkçe
- Karayip flamingosu
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 上野動物園 — ベニイロフラミンゴChecked: 2026-11-03
- University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web — Phoenicopterus ruberChecked: 2026-11-03
- Smithsonian National Zoo — American flamingoChecked: 2026-11-06
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the American flamingo, look for this
- Look for the black feathers revealed when it spreads its wings.
- Look for the webbing between its front toes, too.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
上野動物園Smithsonian National ZooEXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the American flamingo
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
RELATIVES
Others in Phoenicopteridae
MORE TO MEET
