Why are flamingos pink?
Flamingos are pink because of pigments called carotenoids in the algae and tiny shrimp they eat. Without this diet, their feathers would slowly fade to white.
Flamingos feed by holding their heads upside down in the water and filtering out small food with comb-like plates in their bills. Their diet includes algae, brine shrimp and other small creatures rich in orange and red carotenoids, the same type of pigment found in carrots.
The flamingo's liver breaks these pigments down and deposits them in the feathers, skin and legs. The more carotenoids a flamingo eats, the brighter it becomes. Brighter birds are often more attractive to mates, so color is a sign of good health.
Pink in zoos
In zoos, flamingos are given special food with added carotenoids to keep their color. Chicks hatch with gray or white feathers and take a few years to turn fully pink.
The same idea explains other colors in nature. Salmon get their pink flesh from carotenoids in the shrimp and krill they eat, and the red feathers of some birds, such as cardinals, also depend on their diet.
Did You Know?
There are six species of flamingos. The American flamingo of the Caribbean is the brightest, with deep orange-pink feathers.