Their secret is in the plate!
The flamingo is a bird that is easy to recognize. Tall, slender, with long legs and delicate pink feathers – a real fashionista among feathered birds! But here is an interesting fact: flamingos are not born pink. Babies do not look bright at all – they have gray fluffy feathers. So what changes their color?
It turns out that flamingos turn pink because of what they eat. Their main delicacy is small crustaceans (artemia) and algae. They contain special substances called carotenoids. The same ones that give color to carrots or pumpkins! When a flamingo eats these crustaceans, the carotenoids enter its body, are digested, and gradually color its feathers pink or coral.
Interestingly, not all flamingos are equally pink: some are paler, others are bright crimson. It all depends on how much “pink” food they eat. Zoos even add carotenoids to flamingos’ menus to keep them beautiful!
More pink means more health
In the bird world, brightness is a sign of strength. The more saturated the color of the flamingo, the healthier, better nourished and more attractive to the couple. It’s a kind of feathered “I’m in shape!”. That is why in the wild pinkness is not an accident, but an element of bird attractiveness and success.
And vice versa: if the flamingo is sick, or the diet has become poor – its feathers begin to fade. Color is an indicator of health, almost like the sparkle in a person’s eyes.
Conclusion
So, flamingos aren’t born brightly colored – they earn their pinkness by spooning and loving sea crustaceans! Their adorable color is the result of nutrition, self-care, and a little bit of nature.
So the next time you see this bird, remember: beauty isn’t always innate, sometimes it comes with the right menu 😄
