At birth, when the flamingo chicks hatch, their feathers are gray. In adults, the feathers grow white, although they can have various shades of pink, red and orange, depending on the carotenoid content of their diet.
Flamingos live in lakes, wetlands and other aquatic areas. They feed by filtering water and ingest algae, crustaceans, molluscs and insect larvae. Algae and crustaceans usually contain high amounts of carotenoids, some organic pigments of red and orange tones. Crustaceans do not produce carotenoids but rather obtain them through their diet and store them in their bodies. Carotenoids are also found in many vegetables, such as tomatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, or pumpkin.
Like crustaceans, flamingos absorb carotenoids from food. Since carotenoids are fat solubledissolve in the fat of the animal and form deposits on new feathers. Thus, as a flamingo becomes an adult, the color of its feathers changes towards the colors of these substances.
The color of flamingos depends on the amount and type of carotenoids they ingest. The most common in the diet of flamingos are xantholyphs such as astaxanthin and canthaxanthin.
The carotenoid content of algae and crustaceans varies in different species and habitats around the planet, which is why flamingos from different regions have a different color. For example, Caribbean flamingos are usually bright red or orange, while Kenyan flamingos are usually a paler pink.
If a flamingo stops eating food containing carotenoids, its new feathers will be lighter, even completely white. A clear example of the typical saying "we are what we eat".
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