American Flamingo Photo Gallery

Adult

A large, unmistakable wading bird with extremely long legs, a very long neck often held in an S-shape, and a thick, uniquely shaped bill. Adult has a bright pink head, neck, tail, and wings; paler pink upperparts; a pale yellow eye; and a tricolored bill, with a whitish base, pink midsection, and black tip.

Adult

Flies with neck fully outstretched. In flight, note the black trailing edge to the wings and intense pink “armpits.”

Adult

A brilliant pink bird with long legs and an exceptionally long, thin neck. Birds stride slowly through shallow water, head submerged, filtering crustaceans, mollusks, and other aquatic invertebrates from the water.

Adult

The unique bill is used to filter water for small aquatic invertebrates like crustaceans, mollusks, and insect larvae.

Juvenile

Juvenile looks like a monochrome version of adult, patterned in white, gray, black, and brown. Legs are gray; bill is mostly gray with a black tip. Young birds acquire full adult plumage after about three years.