Can Flamingos Fly? Height, Speed, &
30 More Fun Facts!

What’s This Post About?

Flamingos stand out as a magnificent gift of nature because of their distinctive physical appearance and eating habits. Almost all of us admire their appearance, yet few of us are aware of their specific features.

It’s easy to be mesmerized by them marching across the water, raking their beaks through it to feed. When we observe flamingos, they are either on the land or wading in the lake rather than in the air. This often raises the question in the minds of many wondering whether flamingos can fly or not.

Flamingos are excellent flyers. They migrate to a location with enough food and secure breeding sites. Flamingos fly at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour in the sky. As a result, they can fly across great distances. To avoid being caught by eagles, flamingos chose to travel at a high altitude.

Can Flamingos Fly?

Flamingos can go 600 kilometers (373 miles) in one night at a speed of 50 to 60 kilometers per hour (31-37 mph).

Although they spend the majority of their lives on the land and in the lake, flamingos are capable of lengthy, sustained flight at incredible speeds. To avoid escape, captive flamingos must have their wings cut. They love to fly under clear skies with strong tailwinds.

Their large necks and legs appear to make flying quite tricky. Most birds curl their legs tight beneath their bodies and into their feathers to reduce weight when flying.

The legs of flamingos are too lengthy for this. Similarly, birds with longer necks usually keep things compact and near to their center of gravity by holding their necks in an S-shape, but flamingo necks are too extended.

On the other hand, Flamingos maintain their necks and legs straight out to offset each other and keep their body weight balanced. Drag is reduced by keeping them straight out. Although this limits their maneuverability in the air, flamingos devote most of their time on the field, where their long legs are more beneficial.

Flamingos make loud shrieking sounds comparable to geese while flying in a group. They can coordinate themselves in the flying formation thanks to this communication.

According to some sources, flamingos can communicate about their position and potential threats by their distinct calls and noises to identify their mates and families.

How High Do Flamingos Fly?

You might be wondering why we don’t see flamingos in the sky very often. This is because the flamingos fly at great heights throughout the day, presumably to escape being eaten by eagles. They usually soar above 15,000 feet, and their pink or red hues aren’t clearly seen in the sky from such a distance. 

DID YOU KNOW?

Flying at higher altitudes helps flamingos save energy for longer trips, just as operating at high altitudes saves energy for airplanes.

How Fast Are Flamingos?

A flamingo’s maximum speed when flying in a group may reach 35 miles per hour. They may go up to 40 miles an hour in a solo flight, but that rarely happens. The long-distance travel speed of the flamingo flock may also vary depending on wind conditions.

Fun Facts About Flamingos

Flamingos are some of the most magnificent birds. These animals became well-known due to their distinctive appearance and unusual movements. With these strange and intriguing flamingo facts, you will learn a lot more about an animal that often raises many questions.

1. Flamingoes Fly at The Age Of 60 To 70 Days

These birds learn to fly between 2-3 months and grow flight feathers after only 11 weeks of development. Following that, they begin their first efforts at flight. They are not supervised while flying by their parents, and they learn on their own.

To understand better, look at the chick’s journey as they grow:

• Flamingo babies take between 24 and 36 hours to hatch.
• They are healthy enough to walk and depart their nests for the first time within the week.
  
• Babies remain in the nest for five to twelve days. However, they may wander short distances throughout that period.
  
• Chicks learn to swim before they exit the nest, and within four to six weeks of hatching, they can filter-feed independently.
  
• By the time they swim, they are developing their wings for flight.
  
• After 11 weeks, the chicks are ready to fly.

2. Flamingos Fly in Formation

Flamingos are easily distinguished by their strong social abilities since they are always found together. This helps them to remain in safe, predator-free environments. However, it facilitates attacks, particularly in the event of natural calamities.

When flying, flamingos must flap almost constantly, and flapping near to one another helps them break through the air resistance as a group. The flock may most likely take advantage of different wind patterns by altering its flying arrangement.

The traditional V-formation is a standard flying formation, although the more unconventional line and ball-like flight patterns can also be found.

When the flock and formation of flamingos begin to land, the landing procedure appears to be gorgeous unorganized chaos in which each individual simply attempts to locate an excellent location to land.

3. Flamingos Fly Just Like Airplanes

Flamingos’ preflight process is quite similar to that of airplanes. They need to build momentum before taking flight, so they pace out for a long time, fluttering their wings and eventually dragging themselves up into the air.

DID YOU KNOW?

Taking off in the opposite direction of the wind is simpler for them.

Furthermore, to achieve maximal speed in the shortest time, they prefer to bend their skull and necks to the front and step backward with their lengthy feet. This stance helps them to successfully suspend in the air, mainly because their long necks and legs are protected by the position.

4. Flamingos Landing is Impeccable

Flamingos slow down by achieving an upright stance by raising their heads and pressing their feet downward and forward as they fall.

Sometime before their legs contact the floor, their speed decreases to nil. They will experience a mild landing impact with only a few strides or pedaling motions if they descend on water.

5. Zoos Clip Flamingo Wings To Keep Them Captive

When flamingos have enough food and are protected from predators, they have less motivation to migrate via flight. For decades, zoos have managed to keep flamingos in captivity.

Nevertheless, many exhibitions still keep flamingos in open-top enclosures, which necessitates pinioning the birds to keep them from flying away.

Clipping is done by cutting the primary flight feathers of birds. When performed by a qualified veterinarian, this trimming is generally painless.

Some captive birds have become used to human care, but catching and pressing a bird for this procedure, as well as losing its innate right to fly, is a terrible act.

6. There Are 6 Types Of Flamingos

There are six flamingo species.

1. Greater Flamingo

2. Chilean Flamingo

3. Lesser Flamingo

4. Caribbean Flamingo

5. Andean Flamingo

6. James’ Flamingo

The Greater Flamingo is the flamingo family’s most common and most prominent member. It is about 3.9 to 4.7 feet tall. The lesser flamingo is the smallest and about 2.6 feet tall.

7. Flamingoes Weigh Around 5 To 7 Pounds.

The biggest species is the greater flamingo that approximately weighs 7.7 lbs. The lesser flamingo is the smallest species that weighs 5.5 pounds. This is the type of incredible body density (or lack thereof) required for flying.

8. Flamingos Are Pink Because Of Their Diet

Flamingos consume crustaceans and plankton, which contain beta-carotene, which gives them their pink hue. After being eaten, the beta carotene gets broken down by enzymes in the flamingo’s digestive system. The fat in its liver then deposits the red-orange pigments. These lipids are stored in the flamingo’s feathers and skin as it grows older.

If not fed with live shrimp or flamingo chow comprising carotenoid pigments, captive flamingos will become white. Captive flamingos are frequently fed a specific diet at zoos and aviaries to help preserve and enhance their distinctive coloring.

DID YOU KNOW?

Flamingos develop their pink and red feathers over approximately three years.

Remember that a white flamingo does not necessarily mean that it is unhealthy. It can simply mean that the bird consumes food that does not contain carotene, which is needed for the pink color.

9. Flamingos Can Also Be Black (Rarity)

Melanism is a genetic condition that causes excess pigment in the feathers, causing them to darken. This, according to scientists, is what gives the bird its distinct look.

Hawks and ducks had previously been spotted, but a greater flamingo has recently joined the group. Until it was spotted, a black flamingo was practically unheard of.

It was discovered for the first time in Israel in 2013 and again in Cyprus in 2015. The bird has only been spotted twice, and it is speculated that it was the same bird both times. It’s not only uncommon, but it’s also conceivable that this is the only one of its sort ever seen.

10. Flamingoes Are White at Birth

Chicks and young flamingos are grey or white in appearance when they are born. The color of their feathers changes as soon as they begin feeding, depending on the sort of food they ingest. The flamingo diet includes foods high in carotenoid pigments, which gives them their pink color.

11. Flamingoes Are Found in Tropical and Subtropical Areas

The greater flamingo is the most abundantly found species.

12. Flamingos Do Migrate Because Of Variations In Temperature And Water Levels In Their Nesting Grounds

Flamingos are non-migratory birds, but they may choose to relocate due to some reasons like:

• Frozen Lakes
• High water levels
• Drought

Breeding populations in high-altitude lakes that may freeze over in the winter migrate to warmer areas. Sometimes, these birds may seek more suitable locations when sea levels rise. Other times flamingo populations may even be forced to move due to drought.

DID YOU KNOW?

The majority of flamingos that migrate will return to reproduce in their original habitat. Some may, however, choose to join a nearby settlement.

13. There Are About 600,000 Flamingoes in The World

According to Wetlands International study, the total population was projected to be between 550,000 and 680,000 birds. The European population is projected to be between 45,000 and 62,400 pairs, or 89,900 and 125,000 adult flamingos.

Although the Greater flamingo is known to be the most common, the Lesser flamingo is the most abundant. Currently, the population of the flamingos breaks down as follows:

14. Flamingoes Eat Shrimps, Fly Larvae, And Mollusks

The principal food of flamingos consists of blue-green and red algae, diatoms, larvae, and mature forms of tiny insects, crustaceans, mollusks, and small fishes. The pink color of a flamingo’s feathers, legs, and face are due to a diet rich in alpha and beta carotenoid pigments, such as canthaxanthin.

15. Flamingos Filter The Food from The Mud Before Consuming It

The flamingo consumes its food in the following steps:

1. The flamingo locates its prey by stirring the bottom of shallow water or muddy waters with its foot.
2. The flamingo then continues to dip its beak or full head under the water or muddy flats, sucking the mud and water to access its food.
   
3. The flamingo then separates its meal from water and dirt with its filter-like features in its beak before eating it.

DID YOU KNOW?

Flamingos feed by holding their curved bills upside down over several hours on end, allowing them to filter out their food while skimming the water.

16. Flamingos Give One Egg at A Time

Flamingos are monogamous birds, similar to penguins. The egg-laying will be about 6 weeks after the nest has been made. When the female is ready, she will deposit the egg on the mound where a little water well has been built, up to a foot high.

Females typically lay one egg, which takes 28 to 31 days to hatch. If something wrong happens to that egg and it doesn’t hatch, flamingos don’t usually lay another. This is why it may take many years for the flamingo community to expand.

17. The Birds Are Called Flamingos Due to Their Bright Color

The word “flamingo” is taken from the Spanish word “flamenco,” which implies “fire” and alludes to the brilliant hue of the birds’ plumage. Nevertheless, not all flamingos are brilliantly colored, and others are primarily gray or white. The food of a flamingo determines the intensity of its color.

18. A Flamingo Flock Is Called a Colony

Flamingos are sociable birds who do not thrive in groups of only a small number of birds. Flamingo colonies in the wild can number in the thousands. However, many of them are tiny, with just around 50 birds in them.

A flamingo flock is referred to as flamboyance, regiment, colony, or a stand. These names do not represent a certain number of flamingos and rather means more than a couple.

Flamingos employ these massive flocks to protect themselves from attackers. This is because you will often find flamingos’ heads buried deep inside water or mud looking for food. Larger communities are also more stable in terms of population growth and reproductive success.

19. A Flamingo Can Live Up To 30 Years in The Wild And 50 Years in Captivity

Flamingos tend to live for 30-40 years but have been known to live up to 50 years or more in confinement. Since domesticated flamingos are not subjected to poachers, predators, or any other significant or immediate threat and get good medical treatment and enough food, they tend to be healthier.

Of all the flamingo species, the Andean flamingo is the most endangered. Habitat protection is crucial to preserve these birds, which is why keeping them in captivity might help boost their number.

20. Predators, Habitat Destruction, And Hunting Are the Most Common Threats for Flamingos

The majority of flamingo predators are other bird species. Vultures and eagles are among these birds that prey on both flamingo chicks and eggs. In addition, the black scavenger kite eats flamingo corpses abandoned by other birds and terrestrial animals.

Lions, leopards, cheetahs, and jackals are common predators of the lesser flamingo. Flamingos have also been reported to be attacked by pythons. The Andean fox and Geoffrey’s cat prey on the Andean flamingo.

DID YOU KNOW?

Flamingos are preyed upon by land predators who take advantage of low water levels.

In addition to predators, habitat degradation and illicit hunting for ornamental feathers are the most severe threats to flamingos. For example, humans unlawfully hunt flamingos in certain regions to collect eggs for food or take their tongues for meat.

21. Flamingos Like Mirrors Because It Gives the Illusion of a Flock Present

Flamingos are social creatures, and in their natural habitat, they are constantly engaging with a big flock. Flamingos are considered to mate in big groups with lots of social stimulation, and they seldom breed in tiny groups. Mirrors give the illusion of a larger flock, which is why flamingos like to spend more time around them.

Since flamingos are not smart enough to decipher whether it is a real flamingo, zoos often take multiple measures to fool the birds into thinking they have company. For example, they play audios of large flamingo flocks. They also place fake flamingos and nests.

22. Male And Female Flamingos Build the Nest Together

Both male and female use their beaks to push mud and other items closer to their feet. Nest mounds are built of mud, tiny pebbles, hay, and feathers by flamingos. These piles can be up to 30 centimeters tall. Mound construction can begin as early as six weeks before the eggs are deposited.

23. Flamingos Prefer Already Constructed Nests And May Resort To Stealing

Flamingos prefer to inhabit nests that have already been constructed. So yes, old nests are often reused. Not only do they reuse their own nests, but they might also steal nests belonging to other flamingo couples. Therefore, mated pairs must protect their nest from both other flamingos and predators.

DID YOU KNOW?

The nest is high so that the egg is protected from floods as well as the extreme heat that might occur at ground level.

24. Both Parents Incubate the Eggs Together

Both parents take turns incubating the egg. The incubation phase lasts anywhere from 27 to 31 days. Flamingos will regularly rise, extend their wings, and pamper themselves when incubating. Both parents will begin feeding their baby a milk-like fluid rich in lipids and proteins just a few days after it hatches.

DID YOU KNOW?

The flamingos do not collect eggs that have fallen from the nesting mound.

25. Flamingo Egg Yolks Can Be Pink Sometimes

Contrary to popular belief, Flamingo eggs are identical to chicken eggs in appearance: white on the exterior and yellowish or reddish on the interior. The egg is generally a chalky white color, although it might be a pale blue color right after it is laid.

Flamingo egg yolks, on the other hand, can have a rosy hue in some circumstances.

26. Flamingos Do Not Poop Pink

Since flamingos are pink because of their diet, people tend to assume that it will be pink when the food is excreted out. This, however, is not true.

Flamingo feces is grayish-brown and white in color, just as other bird dung. When flamingo babies are very young, their feces may seem somewhat orange, but this is the yolk they ate in the egg being processed.

You would be fascinated to know that there is a confection known as “flamingo feces”. This is not because a flamingo has pink poop but because of the animal’s own color and its association with it.

27. Flamingos Produce Pink Milk to Feed Their Babies

The hormone prolactin, produced by both male and female flamingos, causes “milk” production. Adults provide “milk” to their chicks, which is a secretion of the upper digestive system.

The pigment canthaxanthin gives “milk” its red hue. Babies retain this pigment in their livers, where it will eventually be absorbed in their adult feathers.

28. Flamingos Can Stand on One Leg

These birds can rest both laying down and standing up. They can relax on one leg for a while and then switch to the other without losing their stability. At such a moment, their brain is considered to be sleeping.

Flamingos frequently stand on one leg to conserve heat energy while burying the other leg into their feathers. They’ll switch legs to keep their body temperature in check.

DID YOU KNOW?

The legs of an adult flamingo can be 30-50 inches long, making them longer than the bird's entire body.

29. Flamingos Do Not Make Good Pets

You should definitely not be considering flamingos for pets. Here are some reasons why:

1. Flamingos are not cheap.
2. Flamingos are a kind of bird that live in the wild.
   
3. They are social animals that require company.
   
4. Flamingos are challenging to keep as pets because they require a lot of attention.
   
5. It is against the law to own a flamingo.
   
6. Flamingos are a messy lot.
   

A flamingo requires a large sum of money to purchase. Not only are flamingos costly, but so are their cages, meals, upkeep, and vitamins.

When you put it all up, you’re looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars. They make a lot of noises and create a mess.

DID YOU KNOW?

In the United States, it is illegal to capture wild animals and keep them as pets.

30. Flamingos Are Lured Through the Shade Of Pink And Different Courtship Dances

Flamingos achieve adulthood many years after hatching and start breeding around the age of six. When flamingos begin courting, they stretch and preen in a ritualistic manner. Males typically form groups and sprint with their bills pointing to the sky and their necks held straight out.

Flamingos are attracted to the birds that have the most vibrant and deep color. This is why white or black flamingos face difficulty in luring their partners. Birds that are attracted to one another make frequent and coordinated calls to one another.

Keep Reading!

There is so much to know about the bird other than their beautiful pink plumage. They are amazingly social birds that only function amidst flocks. Both parents take equal responsibility for the chicks, whether it’s nest building, incubation, or feeding.

Flamingos are superb flyers, capable of covering vast distances quickly and choosing to fly at very high altitudes. We associate them with other ground-dwelling birds because they spend a lot of time on the ground. Flamingos are one-of-a-kind birds.

Now that you know that flamingos can fly, read this post to learn about pigeons and how far they can fly.

How Far Can Pigeons Fly? It's Almost Unbelievable!

Amongst many things that these brainy birds are capable of, flying far further is one of them. You would be amazed to learn about their flying abilities.

Posted in: Bird Flying Habits