Chilean Flamingo
Phoenicopterus chilensis
Class: Aves Order: Phoenicopteriformes Family:Phoenicopteridae
Size
Height: 2.6 – 4.8 feet
Weight :5.5 – 7.7 pounds
Wing Span: 4.1 – 5 feet
Lifespan
40-50 years
Diet
Mainly feeding on invertebrates like brine flies, shrimps, and mollusks, they also consume blue-green algae, aquatic plants, seeds, insect larvae, and small worms.
Habitat & Range
They inhabit muddy, shallow, salty lakes in warm tropical regions, coastal areas, and high-altitude Andes in South America.
Interesting Facts
The Chilean flamingo is a tall bird with a long neck, small head, pale pink plumage, and a distinctive bill. Smaller than the Caribbean flamingo, it has gray legs with pink bands at the joints.
All flamingos feed with their bills upside down, submerging their heads in water to filter feed. Using specialized, hair-like structures in the upper bill, they efficiently collect the microorganisms that form their diet.
Similar to other South American flamingos, these birds can withstand cold climates.
Conservation Status
Threatened
Threats
Chilean flamingos face threats from habitat loss, environmental degradation, harvesting, and human disturbances.