About Chilean Flamingos
Chilean flamingos stand four to five feet tall and can weigh anywhere from 13-16 pounds. They have long necks and long, slender legs. Their bill is bent downward in the middle. Most of their body is covered in pale pink feathers with darker pink and black wings. Their legs are dull yellow or yellow-gray with dark pink bands at the joints and pink feet.
The pink coloration comes from pigments called carotenoids in the tiny animals they eat. This pigment can be added to the diet or the flamingoes can be fed prawns in zoos to reproduce the pink color.
These birds are gregarious, usually living in flocks numbering in the thousands. When in these large groups, they can be quite loud while making their deep, honking noises along with other vocalizations, such as grunting and howling. They do everything in these groups including breeding, feeding and flying. The large group is also the main defense. Having so many individuals increases the possibility of predator sightings, and decreases the probability of an individual becoming prey.
Chilean Flamingo at the Akron Zoo
The flamingos bid you farewell as the final animal habitat before you leave, located in the Legends of the Wild area.
There are 27 flamingos at the Akron Zoo – 16 males and 11 females.