Types of Flamingos

According to Davidson College, flamingos are some of the oldest species of birds on earth. Today, there are six separate species. Most of them feed on algae and brine shrimp --- food sources that have existed for ages. Their lengthy legs and colorful feathers have captured the attention and interest of many naturalists.

  1. Greater Flamingo

    • Phoenicopterus roseus are the largest and palest species. They have an average weight of 8 lbs. and height of 5 feet. Given their size, they have few natural predators. The species consists of 545,000 to 682,000 birds, which inhabit Africa, Asia, South America, Central America, the Caribbean and parts of Europe. Greater flamingos are close relatives of the Caribbean species.

    Lesser Flamingo

    • Among the various species, Phoeniconaias minor have the smallest bodies; their average weight is 5 to 6 lbs., while their average height is 3 feet 3 inches. They also have the highest population with roughly 2 to 3 million individual birds living throughout southern Africa and parts of Asia.

    Chilean Flamingo

    • Phoenicopterus chilensis live in the warm, coastal areas of South America, such as Chile and Argentina. With 200,000 or fewer family members, they have one of the smaller populations. They have an average height of 4 feet and an average weight of 4 to 6 lbs. The grey legs and pink knees of the Chilean flamingos allow them to stand out among the other species.

    Caribbean Flamingo

    • People sometimes refer to Phoenicopterus ruber as American flamingos. In terms of coloration, they are the brightest species in the world, sporting orange-pink feathers. The population of roughly 850,000 birds inhabits areas near the Gulf of Mexico and throughout the Caribbean. With an average height of 4 feet 5 inches, they are almost as large as the Greater flamingos.

    Andean Flamingos

    • Unlike most of the other species, Phoenicoparrus andinus lack a hind toe but sport yellow legs. They have the smallest population with about 34,000 living in South America. With an average height of 3 to 4 feet and an average weight of 8 to 9 lbs., Andean flamingos are close relatives to the James' species.

    James's Flamingos

    • Phoenicoparrus jamesi are named after Henry Berkeley James, a naturalist whose expeditions led to the discovery of the birds; however people may also refer to them as Puna flamingos. Like the Andean flamingos, they lack a hind toe. Their orange legs and yellow bills are additional distinguishing features. This species appears in South America, alongside the Andean flamingos. Its estimated population is 100,000.