Chile flamingos at the nature zoo shine in dark pink this year
Even among the staff of the Natural Zoo, the Chilean Flamingos are causing amazement this year. Often these animals present themselves in white with reddish color spots. This year they shine in a strong pink. And that’s without a change in diet.
Chile Flamingo
Phoenicopterus chilensisChilean flamingoChileense flamingo
Distributionwestern and southern South AmericaHabitatSalt lakes in the highlandsReproductionA mud cone is built as a nesting substrate. Only one egg is laid, which both parent birds incubate for 28 days. They raise the chick together and feed it a highly nutritious liquid produced in the crop that also contains blood cells.Social behaviorlive in very large colonies where pairs stay together for at least one breeding seasonAgeto 50 yearsFoodWater plankton: crustaceans and other invertebrates, algae At the zoo: special flamingo food that includes.consists of cereals, soy, shrimp, fish and algae mealCarrot childrenThe pink plumage color of flamingos is caused by the storage of red pigments (carotenoids), which are ingested with food, e.g. small crustaceans and algae. At the zoo, the flamingos are therefore given paprika powder as a feed supplement. The dye is also contained in carrots, which is why infants who drink a lot of carrot juice develop a typical orange-brownish skin color.