bird of the day: james’s flamingo

james’s flamingo is a small flamingo species native to peru, chile, bolivia and argentina.

this flamingo is distinguishable from others by their overall light pink plumage with bright reddish-pink streaks on the neck and back. the only black feathers on the bird’s body are on the wings. they also have the shortest bill of any flamingo. like others in the family, it is used for filter feeding of algae.

james’s flamingo participates in elaborate mating rituals – sometimes the entire flock at one time. the males vocalize and stick their necks up in the air, turning their heads back and forth. the females initiate mating by walking away from the group, and then the male follows.

unfortunately, james’s flamingo is rated near threatened by the iucn, mainly due to human habitat destruction. at one point, this flamingo was believed to be extinct, until they were rediscovered in 1956. populations have been on the rise in recent years, and hopefully in the near future we will have more and more of these gorgeous birds.

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