Here are 10 fascinating facts about flamingos:

1. Unlike their brilliantly, pastel-feathered parents, those adorably wobbly little flaminglets hatch with gray feathers, not pink ones. It’s the diet full of carotenoid pigments derived from the algae and small crustaceans they eat, that transforms their feathers into powerful pink!
 
2. Flamboyance!! What a fitting name for a group of pink, puffy, plumed knobby-kneed avians. Not unlike human groups, tribes, nations, communities, flamboyances can contain thousands of birds. Now, THAT’S a lot of pink!!!
 
3.Not sure I have the stamina of a flamingo!! Flamingos often stand on one leg while resting
{I prefer a bed!!) Scientists discovered this position actually requires less energy than standing on both legs, as their unique anatomy allows them to lock their leg joints in place without using muscles. Can you imagine how convenient this would be for humans? Catch up on sleep while waiting in line, perhaps
 
4. Ok, I’m okay with some behavior differences. Flamingos feed with their heads upside down! Their specialized beaks are designed to filter food when held this way, using tiny hair-like structures called lamellae to strain small organisms from the water. I don’t know about you , but I have a tough enough time keeping my food in my mouth sometimes using a fork and spook while in an upright position!
 
5. A flamingo’s life expectancy in the wild is impressively long – they can live 20-30 years, and some individuals in captivity have reached over 50 years of age. While humans are known to have a longer life expectancy, our pink feathered friends spend their lives in warm tropical weather, wading in blue water, always looking striking in their brilliant outfits and being the envy of all the other less-than-brilliant birds!!! Not such a bad deal, eh?
 
6. I’m definitely envious as swimming isn’t one of my strong talents. Flamingos are excellent swimmers, although they don’t show off that often. Their webbed feet and long legs make them naturally adept in deeper waters. Maybe that’s the issue….I’m missing the webbed feet!!!
 
7.I’ve seen some crazy human moves meant to entice the opposite sex ( not usually effective, however)  Flamingoes perform synchronized courtship dances in large groups. These elaborate displays involve head-flagging (swinging their heads from side-to-side), wing-saluting, and marching in unison. Actuallygiggling aloud here as I write this… I’ll try it if you will.
 
8. Flamingo parents feed their chicks with a type of crop milk, similar to what pigeons produce. This high-protein liquid is produced in their digestive tracts and is essential for chick survival. Mothers, avian or human, come equipped with the nurturing gene to provide the best possible for the young’uns.
 
9. Their distinctive curved beaks are actually straight when they’re born. The curve develops as they grow older, perfectly adapting to their unique feeding style. Thank goodness our noses or mouths don’t undergo drastic adjustments in order to eat. Can you imagine???
 
10. Despite their delicate appearance, flamingos can fly at speeds up to 35 miles per hour and can cover over 300 miles in a single night during migration. They typically fly at altitudes between 10,000 and 15,000 feet. Look how law obedient our feathered friends are! As for me, I plead the fifth ( a couple speeding tickets under my feathers, however I did remain on the
ground at all times!