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Collection  >  Order (Birds)  >  Order Information (Pelecaniformes)

Phoenicopteriformes

Phoenicopteriformes, from Greek φοῖνιξ (phoînix, “red”, “carmin”, “Tyrian purple”), Greek πτερόν (pterón, “feather, wing”) and Latin -fōrmis (“-shaped”), means “red-feathered”, in reference to the fact that these animals are reddish in color.

Flamingos.

Photos

DISTRIBUTION

Southern Cone, Western and Northeastern South American coasts, Antilles, Yucatan and Floridian Peninsulas, Mediterranean Sea, Western and Eastern African coasts, Arabian Sea.

SIZE

They range from 80 cm in height, 94 cm in wingspan and 2.5 kg in weight up to 1.4 m in height, 150 cm in wingspan and 3.5 kg in weight.

MORPHOLOGY

They have long legs and a round body, with a long s-shaped neck and a slightly hooked thick bill. When they hatch, their plumage is grayish-red, but as adults, it can range from light pink to vivid red because of aquatic bacteria and beta-carotene from their diet.

ECOLOGY & HABITAT

They inhabit large saline or alkaline lakes, swamps or shallow ponds.

DIET

They are omnivores since they filter-feed on brine shrimp, blue-green algae, insect larvae, tiny insects, mollusks, and crustaceans.

REPRODUCTION

Though in bigger colonies, they build strong pair ties. They presumably switch partners since there are more options open to them. Nesting territories are established and guarded by the partners. They find a good location to construct a nest on the mudflat; often, the female chooses this location. Usually, copulation takes place during the building of the nest, though occasionally another pair will try to take over the nesting location for themselves. They fiercely protect their breeding locations. The male and female work together to construct the nest and to keep the nest and egg safe. Reports exist of pairs of the same sex.

REFERENCES

del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D. A. (2010). Handbook of the Birds of the World Series. Lynx Edicions.

Lovette, I. J., Fitzpatrick, J. W. (2016). Handbook of Bird Biology. Wiley-Blackwell.

Gill, F. B., Prum, R. O. (2019). Ornithology. W.H. Freeman & Co. Ltd.

Total species known

6

Species in the collection

1

Species in Hong Kong

0

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