Chilean flamingo

Three of the six species of flamingo are found in temperate to tropical regions of the world. The other three species, which include the Chilean flamingo kept at Zoo Zurich, thrive in surprisingly cold habitats.

All flamingos rely on saline inland lakes for their food. These bodies of water are home to plant and animal plankton, which the birds filter from the water using their down-curving beaks. Such bodies of water are found not only at sea level, but also in the Andes of South America at altitudes of over 4,000 metres above sea level. Night-time temperatures there can fall below minus 20 degrees Celsius.

Along with algae and crustaceans, flamingos absorb various pigments. These are first converted into reddish pigments in the liver and are eventually stored in the birds’ feathers, giving them their characteristic pink colour. Without these pigments, flamingos would be white.

Nevertheless, every now and then one comes across individual birds with an almost white plumage. These are usually birds that are currently rearing their juveniles. During this phase, they use some of the substances that they would otherwise employ for ‘colour production’ for other purposes.