When was it that flamingos became love symbols? Their long legs, crooked necks and odd-shaped beaks do not automatically make them stand out from the other animals in St. Valentine’s arena of romance! Well, maybe it’s not all about the looks! Perhaps it’s their pinkish feathers? Maybe their flamboyant synchronised mating dance? Or simply because two flamingos can entwine their necks into a heart shape? Whatever the true reason might be, it is undeniable that this animal is now, unintentionally, a love icon with hints of tropical romance.
As for the bird itself, flamingos are a group of wading birds called Phoenicopteriformes. In Portugal, they were not particularly common until the 1980s when these birds started to show up in greater numbers and have since taken up residency in the country’s coastal lagoons, salt pans and estuaries. Despite the abundance of flamingos, the species did not breed in Portuguese territory until 2021. It was then that a nature reserve in Castro Marim (Algarve) saw colonies building mud nests where they laid their eggs, resulting in the hatching of over 500 flamingo chicks.
The greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus), the most common species found in Portugal, is also the most widespread of flamingos, with a large distribution that ranges across Europe, Africa, South-West Asia, the Middle East and even South America. The largest of flamingos, it is an impressive and exotic-looking bird that can weigh up to 3 kg and has a wingspan of 170 centimetres. Standing 1.5 meters in height, it is as tall as a small person. In the wild, they can live for 50 years and longer in captivity.
It is an easy bird to identify due to its distinctive features: long red legs, a white body stained with pink, “coat hanger” neck and a thick, downward bent bill. When resting, flamingos will often curl up their long necks around their bodies and stand on just one leg. When taking off to the skies, these elegant birds will open and flap their wings. To gain momentum, they use their legs against the water, giving the impression that they are briefly running on water.
Very social creatures, flamingos often flock in large groups, sometimes in their thousands. They spend a lot of time feeding. With the heads down at water level, or even submerged and sweeping their heads side to side, they use the unique bill to filter the water and capture a variety of algae, small crustaceans and fish.
One of the most recognisable behaviours is the group synchronised mating dance. Whole colonies start to walk around closely together, necks stretching, bowing, twisting their heads side to side abruptly, opening their wings to reveal the striking red and pink underwing feathers, all these while vocalising loud cackles. This fantastic natural display triggers hormonal stimulation throughout the colonies and results in the whole group actively mating at the same time.
Their nests are simple mud mounds with space enough for one large egg. When the chicks are born, they do not show vibrant colours but are a dull light grey colour that blends effectively against their mud nests and banks where they rest in the first weeks of their lives. All the colony’s chicks are born around the same time and stay together in large crèches. During this time, parents produce and feed their chicks a milk substance they produce and regurgitate to the hatchlings until they are able to feed themselves.
Worldwide, there are six different species of flamingos that all share distinctive common traits: long legs, curved bills, red or pink plumage and question mark-shaped necks.
Fun fact
A group of flamingos is called a colony, stand or, very appropriately, a flamboyance.