American Flamingo Similar Species Comparison

Main SpeciesAmerican Flamingo

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.

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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.

Flock

A highly social species, often occurring in large foraging flocks. In flight, long neck is fully outstretched.

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Flock

A highly social species that forages in large flocks and frequently nests in huge colonies.

Flock

Vocal birds give gooselike honks. Note striking black flight feathers when birds open their wings.

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Adult

Feeding birds filter out small food items by using their large tongues to push water through comblike structures in their bills.

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Similar SpeciesRoseate Spoonbill

Adult

Roseate Spoonbill is smaller and less pink overall than American Flamingo, with shorter legs, a shorter, thicker neck, and a distinctive bill that flattens and flares out at the tip. Adult spoonbill has a bare head with light green and yellow patches of skin.

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