Flamingo

Flamingo
Lesser Flamingos in the Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Infraclass:	Neognathae
Order:	Phoenicopteriformes Fürbringer, 1888
Family:	Phoenicopteridae Bonaparte, 1831
Genus:	Phoenicopterus Phoenicoparrus Linnaeus, 1758
Species
See text

Flamingos or flamingoes^[1] (pronunciation) are gregarious wading birds in the genus Phoenicopterus, the only genus in the family Phoenicopteridae. There are four flamingo species in the Americas and two species in the Old World.

Species

Greater Flamingoes Phoenicopterus roseus at Pocharam lake, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Six flamingo species are recognised by most sources, and these are generally placed in one genus. Two species, the Andean and the James's Flamingo, are often placed in the genus Phoenicoparrus instead of Phoenicopterus.

Evolution

Fossil record

Flamingoes are well attested in the fossil record, with the first unequivocal member of the extant family Phoenicopteridae, Elornis known from the Late Eocene. A considerable number of little-known birds from the Late Cretaceous onwards are sometimes considered to be flamingo ancestors. These include the genera Torotix, Scaniornis, Gallornis, Agnopterus, Tiliornis, Juncitarsus and Kashinia; these show a mix of characters and are fairly plesiomorphic in comparison to modern birds. (The supposed "Cretaceous flamingo" Parascaniornis is actually a synonym of Baptornis and not a close relative to any living bird). An extinct family of peculiar "swimming flamingos", the Palaelodidae, are believed to be related to, or to be the ancestors of, the modern flamingos. This is sometimes rejected, since the fossil Elornis is known from some time before any palaelodid flamingos have been recorded. There exists a fairly comprehensive fossil record of the genus Phoenicopterus. The systematics of prehistoric Phoenicopteridae known only from fossils is as follows:

• Phoenicopteridae
  • Elornis (Middle? Eocene - Early Oligocene) - includes Actiornis
  • Phoenicopteridae gen. et sp. indet. (Camacho Middle? - Late Miocene? of San José, Uruguay)^[2]

Andean Flamingos in the Laguna Colorada, Bolivia.

• • Prehistoric species of Phoenicopterus:
    • Phoenicopterus croizeti (Middle Oligocene - Middle Miocene of C Europe)
    • Phoenicopterus floridanus (Early Pliocene of Florida)
    • Phoenicopterus stocki (Middle Pliocene of Rincón, Mexico)
    • Phoenicopterus copei (Late Pleistocene of W North America and C Mexico)
    • Phoenicopterus minutus (Late Pleistocene of California, USA)
    • Phoenicopterus aethiopicus
    • Phoenicopterus eyernsis (Late Oligocene of South Australia)
• See also Phoeniconotius

Relations

American Flamingos at Chester Zoo.

American Flamingo and offspring

The identity of the closest relatives of the flamingos is a rather contentious issue. A wide variety of birds have been proposed as their closest relatives, on a wide variety of evidence. To reflect the uncertainty about this matter, flamingos are generally placed in their own order. Recent molecular and anatomical studies have suggested a relation with grebes.

Traditionally, the long-legged Ciconiiformes, probably a paraphyletic assemblage, have been considered the flamingos' closest relatives and the family was included in the order. Usually the ibises and spoonbills of the Threskiornithidae were considered their closest relatives within this order. Earlier genetic studies, such as those of Charles Sibley and colleagues, also supported this relationship.^[3] Relationships to the waterfowl were considered as well,^[4] especially as flamingos and waterfowl are parasitized by feather lice of the genus Anaticola, which are otherwise exclusively found on ducks and geese.^[5] Other scientists proposed flamingos as waders most closely related to the stilts and avocets, Recurvirostridae. The peculiar presbyornithids were used to argue for a close relationship between flamingos, waterfowl, and waders^[6], but they are now known to be unequivocal waterfowl with a peculiarly derived morphology paralleling waders and flamingos.

Genetic studies since 2004 have identified a major clade of birds, which has been named the Metaves. This group contains includes flamingos and grebes, as well as the hoatzin, pigeons, hummingbirds, and the sunbittern. Most of these groups have been difficult to place on the family tree of birds. Relations within this group are somewhat unclear,^[7][8][9] and it has been suggested that this clade is based on molecular convergence.^[10]

Morphological evidence also strongly supports a relationship between flamingos and grebes. They hold at least eleven morphological traits in common, which are not found on other birds. Many of these characteristics have been previously identified on flamingos, but not on grebes.^[11] The fossil Palaelodids can be considered evolutionarily, and ecologically, intermediate between flamingos and grebes^[12]

For the grebe-flamingo clade, the taxon Mirandornithes ("miraculous birds" due to their extreme divergence and apomorphies) has been proposed. Alternatively, they could be placed in one order, with Phoenocopteriformes taking priority.^[12]

Description

The arcuate bill of this American Flamingo is well adapted to bottom scooping

Flamingos often stand on one leg, the other tucked beneath the body. The reason for this behavior is not fully understood. Some suggest that the flamingo, like some other animals, has the ability to have half of its body go into a state of sleep, and when one side is rested, the flamingo will swap legs and then let the other half sleep, but this has not been proven. Recent research has indicated that standing on one leg may allow the birds to conserve more body heat, given that they spend a significant amount of time wading in cold water ^[13]. As well as standing in the water, flamingos may stamp their webbed feet in the mud to stir up food from the bottom.

Young flamingos hatch with grey plumage, but adults range from light pink to bright red due to aqueous bacteria and beta carotene obtained from their food supply. A well-fed, healthy flamingo is more vibrantly coloured and thus a more desirable mate. A white or pale flamingo, however, is usually unhealthy or malnourished. Captive flamingos are a notable exception; many turn a pale pink as they are not fed carotene at levels comparable to the wild. This is changing as more zoos begin to add prawns and other supplements to the diets of their flamingos.

Behavior

American Flamingos, many standing on one leg, in Lago de Oviedo, Dominican Republic

Flamingos filter-feed on brine shrimp and blue-green algae. Their oddly shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they eat, and are uniquely used upside-down. The filtering of food items is assisted by hairy structures called lamellae which line the mandibles, and the large rough-surfaced tongue. The pink or reddish color of flamingos comes from carotenoid proteins in their diet of animal and plant plankton. These proteins are broken down into pigments by liver enzymes.^[14] The source of this varies by species, and affects the saturation of color. Flamingos whose sole diet is blue-green algae are darker in color compared to those who get it second hand (e.g. from animals that have digested blue-green aglae).^[15] Zoo-fed flamingos, who often lack the color enhancer in their diet, may be given food with the additive canthaxanthin.

Flamingos produce a crop milk, like pigeons and doves, due to the action of a hormone called prolactin (see Columbidae). It contains more fat and less protein than the latter does, and it is produced in glands lining the whole of the upper digestive tract, not just the crop. Both parents nurse their chick, and young flamingos feed on this milk, which also contains red and white blood cells, for about two months until their bills are developed enough to filter feed.

Conservation status

Moche Ceramic Depicting Flamingo. 200 A.D. Larco Museum Collection Lima, Peru.

Scientists have discovered that flamingos are dying by the thousands along the Great Rift Valley lakes of Kenya and Tanzania. However, they are baffled as to the reason. Possible causes include avian cholera, botulism, metal poisoning, pesticides or poisonous bacteria, say researchers. Also, fears for the future of the Lesser Flamingo — Phoeniconaias minor — have been raised by plans to pipe water from one of their key breeding areas, the shores of Lake Natron. The lakes are crucial to the birds' breeding success because the flamingos feed off the blooms of cyanobacteria that thrive there.^[16]

In captivity

The first flamingo hatched in a European zoo was a Chilean Flamingo at Zoo Basel in 1958^[17]. Since then, over 389 flamingos grew up in Basel and were distributed to other zoos around the globe.

Relationship with humans

In Ancient Rome, flamingo tongues were considered a delicacy.^[18] Also, Andean miners have killed flamingos for their fat, believed to be a cure for tuberculosis.^[19]

Ancient Egyptians believed flamingos to be the living representation of the god Ra.^[20]

The Moche people of ancient Peru worshipped nature.^[21] They placed emphasis on animals and often depicted flamingos in their art.^[22]

Pink plastic flamingo statues are popular lawn ornaments in the United States.^[23]

Gallery

Chilean flamingos at the Las Vegas Zoo	American Flamingo at National Zoo Washington, DC.	Lesser Flamingos in flight	Greater Flamingoes Phoenicopterus roseus after taking off	Greater Flamingoes Phoenicopterus roseus calling	Greater Flamingoes Phoenicopterus roseus feeding
Greater Flamingoes Phoenicopterus roseus in flight	Greater Flamingoes Phoenicopterus roseus landing	Greater Flamingoes Phoenicopterus roseus scape	Greater Flamingoes Phoenicopterus roseus taking off	American Flamingo at a zoo in Frankfurt, probably sleeping unihemispherically	Flamingo at Laguna Colorada
A Flamingo from Antalya region, Turkey	Flamingo watching one of its eggs hatch	Flamingo with its chick	Flamingos at Dublin Zoo.	Flamingos at Miami Metro Zoo.	Flamingo as it appeared in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865)

References

Further reading

• Hilty, Steven L. (2003): Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm, London. ISBN 0-7136-6418-5
• Svensson, Lars; Zetterström, Dan; Mullarney, Killian & Grant, P. J. (1999): Collins bird guide. HarperCollins, London. ISBN 0-00-219728-6

External links

• Flamingo Resource Centre
• Greater Flamingos near Izmir - Turkey
• Photo of a juvenile flamingo
• Flamingo videos and photos on the Internet Bird Collection
• Why flamingoes stand on one leg