![]() The Andean flamingo lives for around 45 years in the wild if it does not succumb to hunting or predation. The egg is placed on a mound of mud, surrounded by shallow water.įlamingo chicks are self-sufficient by ten months and ready to breed in three to six years. Only a single egg is laid by each female, and many young flamingos do not survive until adulthood. Breedingīreeding occurs from December through February, in large colonies – as might be expected from this social bird. The flocks migrate from place to place in a quest for suitable food, often traveling hundreds of kilometers in a single day. The alkaline and salt lakes that these birds prefer (and that grow the correct kind and amount of food for them) are found high in the rugged terrain of the Andes at heights of 2,300 to 4,500 meters above sea level. Their food collection is carried out with the help of special filtration structures within the beak. They are filter feeders who seek algae and diatoms in shallow water, usually salty. These large birds are extremely sociable and gather in flocks of hundreds, and sometimes thousands, at good feeding lakes in South America. Their cry is a loud, goose-like honk which is given with the head thrown back and the tail raised. ![]() Festively colored in pink and white, the Andean flamingo’s plumage is set off by yellow legs, a yellow and black beak, and black primary flight feathers on the wings. This large filter-feeding bird stands 1 meter to 1.4 meters tall, and boasts a wingspan of up to 1.6 meters. The Andean flamingo has the classic, familiar look of the flamingo, with long legs, a long neck, and a prominent, aquiline beak. ![]()
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