Flamingos are a type of wading bird. There are four flamingo species in the Americas (mostly South America) and two species in the rest of the world.
Flamingos are very social birds ~ they live in colonies whose population can number in the thousands. These large colonies are believed to serve three purposes for the flamingos: avoiding predators, maximizing food intake, and using scarce suitable nesting sites more efficiently.
Before breeding, flamingo colonies split into breeding groups of about 15 to 50 birds. Both males and females in these groups perform synchronized ritual displays. The members of a group stand together and display to each other by stretching their necks upwards, then uttering calls while head-flagging, and then flapping their wings.
Flamingos generally form strong pair bonds, and the pairs establish and defend nesting territories. They locate a suitable spot on the mudflat to build a nest (the spot is usually chosen by the female). Both the male and the female contribute to building the nest, and to defending the nest and egg.
Flamingos usually stand on one leg while the other is tucked beneath their body. The reason for this behaviour is not fully understood. As well as standing in the water, flamingos may stamp their webbed feet in the mud to stir up food from the bottom.
Flamingos filter-feed on brine shrimp and blue-green algae. Their bills are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they eat, and are uniquely used upside-down.
Flamingos are capable flyers and flamingos in captivity often require wing clipping to prevent escape.
Information source: Wikipedia
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