Did You Know: Flamingos Aren't Born With Their Iconic Pink Colour
Yep, they are born with some pretty standard grey feathers. So, how on earth do they end up looking like a walking sunset?
By Sadho Ram - 08 Jan 2024, 04:52 AM
Cover image via The colour pink and flamingos are synonymous with each other
Image via National Geographic Kids
But did you know flamingos aren't born pink?
Yep, they are born with some pretty standard grey feathers.
Image via Animal Corner
So, how on earth do they end up looking like a walking sunset?
The phrase "you are what you eat" is true for flamingos, as they really are what they eat.
Yes, their pink colour is all about their diet.
Flamingos are foodies of the aquatic world, chowing down on algae, crustaceans, and all sorts of tiny underwater delights. And those meals come packed with beta-carotene, the same stuff that makes carrots pop with colour.
So, while the flamingos are enjoying their underwater buffet, the beta-carotene gets absorbed into their bloodstream, and the real magic goes down in their liver.
Enzymes break down the beta-carotene into these fantastic pink and orange pigment molecules. And voilà! The pigments take a trip to the feathers, skin, and beaks, turning the grey-feathered standard birds into the dazzling pink divas we know and love.
Who knew the secret to being pretty in pink was hidden in the menu of these elegant birds?
Image via National Zoo
Essentially, the more a flamingo eats a diet rich in carotenoids, the pinker their feathers get. Remove carotenoid from their diet, and a flamingo's feathers would slowly return to their pale grey colour.
However, it's not so common in the wild. If the flamingos are in captivity and don't get to eat enough shrimp to turn pink, they'll stay grey. Sometimes, they can be black or white too.
Basically, a flamingo's colour varies depending on what it eats.
Image via Sandeep Gangadharan/flickr
