Flamingo Zoo Habitat

Flamingos are gregarious birds, often wading in shallow water where they stir up the bottom mud to feed on small seeds, algae and invertebrates such as brine flies, shrimp and mollusks. They use their beaks to sieve food particles from the water, and shake their heads from side to side as they feed.

They are also highly social, and they live, breed and fly in large flocks. During courtship, both sexes participate in ritualized displays such as “head-flagging” and “wing saluting”.

The flamingo’s beak is a filtration apparatus functioning like a comb or filter with thousands of tiny filaments which allow the water to pass through, but which dredge out the tiny food particles. It also pumps water in and out of the slightly opened bill using its tongue.

As such, flamingos need to be provided with a suitable habitat that provides them with the opportunity to forage. In zoos, this might be in the form of food pellets, or a specialized aquatic area where the flamingos can forage for their own foods (especially if this is a key goal of a zoo’s flamingo collection).

Although they are warm-climate animals, flamingos are known to adapt to colder climates as well. They have a thick skin that can help them to survive temperatures down to minus 30 degrees Celsius (minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit).

In addition, their bills are deep and have stiff lamellae which allow the water to flow through but prevent larger particles such as fish or other organisms from entering. They can also filter very fine particles from the water through their bill.

They also have an elaborate digestive system that includes glands, a stomach and intestines. They can eat as much as two pounds of food each day.

When they are adults, flamingos begin courtship. This occurs year round and is dependent on availability of food and environmental conditions. When breeding, they mate with one other flamingo and produce one chalky white goose-sized egg. Once the eggs hatch, the parents raise their young by feeding them around the clock and providing care outside of the flamingo’s enclosure.

Flamingos have a life span of 50 years or more and are extremely durable. They can also survive severe weather, including hurricanes and tornadoes.

While flamingos are not endangered species, they are being threatened by pollution and other natural disasters. The most common threat is in Tanzania around Lake Natron where there are many soda factories that release chemicals into the water. This affects the amount of salt in the water, which can cause the flamingos to die.

They are also susceptible to diseases and infections that are transmitted through the air, such as Avian Influenza. Hence, they are sometimes housed indoors for extended periods of time.

The zoo recently discovered a softball-sized hole in the heavy-duty mesh that surrounds its outdoor yard, where it keeps flamingos and ducks. The zoo is strengthening the mesh and has set up live traps and digital cameras with movement-triggered infrared sensors to catch predators.