Greater Flamingo [Phoenicopterus Roseus]

You can learn more about Flamingo - avibirds.com/rose-flamingo/ In this video, we take a look at the Greater Flamingo, also known as the Phoenicopterus roseus. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS Length: 110 to 150 cm (43 to 59 in) Weight: 2 to 4 kg (4.4 to 8.8 lb) Wingspan: 140 to 165 cm (55 to 65 in.) You can read more about Indian Greater Flamingo - avibirds.com/rose-flamingo/ The greater flamingo is the largest living species of flamingo, averaging 110 to 150 cm (43 to 59 in) tall and weighing 2 to 4 kg (4.4 to 8.8 lb). In comparison, the lesser flamingo weighs in at around 1.2 to 2.7 kg (2.6 to 6.0 lb). The largest male flamingos have been recorded at up to 187 cm (74 in) tall and 4.5 kg (9.9 lb), which is just around half a kilogram larger than a normal large greater flamingo. Still a large bird. LIFESPAN The Greater Flamingo in captivity would typically, according to Basel Zoo, be around over 60 years. And in the wild, the average lifespan is somewhere around 30 – 40 years, which is still a great lifespan that many birds do not see. HABITAT The Greater Flamingo can be found in parts of Africa, southern Asia in countries as Bangladesh and coastal regions of Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India. Moving on, you will also find them in the Middle East (including Iran, Turkey, Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait), southern Europe, including Spain, Italy, Greece, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Portugal, and the Camargue region of France. The most northern breeding spot of the Greater Flamingo is the Zwillbrocker Venn in western Germany, which is close to the border of the Netherlands. They have been recorded breeding in the United Arab Emirates at three different locations in the Abu Dhabi. In India, flamingos can be observed at the Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary, Flamingo City, and in the Thol Bird Sanctuary. They even remain there during the entire winter season. The greater flamingos habitats include mudflats and shallow coastal lagoons with saltwater. When "hunting" for food, the flamingos use their feet to stir up the mud, then suck the water through its bill and filter out small shrimp, seeds, blue-green algae, microscopic organisms, and molluscs. The greater flamingos feed with their head down. Its upper jaw is movable and not rigidly fixed to its skull, like all flamingos, uncommon to some other bird. This species lays a single pale-white egg on a mud mound. BEHAVIOUR Greater Flamingos are gregarious birds and live together in flocks or dense colonies which range between 10 – 12 birds, such as those in the Galapagos Islands to much larger groups of over 20,000 birds on the African salt lakes. In exceptional cases, even up to a grand number of 200,000 pairs have been observed, which is an enormous number to see in a flock of birds. These large flocks give them safety in numbers. Flocks remain closely packed and individuals are protected from predators by the other flock members while they have their heads down in the mud when feeding, if nothing else works, they can at least beat their predators in numbers. The Greater Flamingos are vocal birds and keep in contact with each other by producing a deep honking sound, similar to a Goose, while their social aspects might even come close to the House Sparrow, which really enjoy a morning chat and other social activities. They call loudly during courtship but they have a quieter call while they are feeding. These beautiful pink shorebirds are surprisingly good swimmers but tend to thrive on the shallow mudflats and lagoons. Greater Flamingos are a remarkable sight when in flight with their long, thin neck outstretched in front and their long legs outstretched behind them, especially if you're lucky to observe one of the larger groups. Imagine observing a group of 200,000 flamingos flying in a singular flock. Flocks form either long, trailing lines or irregular shapes whilst flying. Flamingos are often seen standing on one leg. This stance is thought to keep the hidden leg warm amongst their feathers, similar to Geese, even though on hot days they might stand on both legs the Greater Flamingo tends to stand on one leg both to relax and sleep, as they continue to stand on one leg while perfectly balanced to rest. You can read more about Greater Flamingo here - avibirds.com/rose-flamingo/ #avibirds #bird #birdwatching #greaterflamingo #phoenicopterusroseus

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