Why are flamingos pink?
Flamingos hatch with a grey plumage, but this turns into a light pink to a bright red colour as they grow older. What causes this colour change?
Flamingos filter-feed on brine shrimp and blue-green algae. These two species have carotinoid pigments in them. When these carotinoid pigments are broken down by enzymes in the liver, they produce orange and pink pigment molecules that are stored in the feathers. The better fed the flamingo is, the brighter is their plumage. The bright colour indicates that the flamingo is healthy and therefore the bright colour is a sexual characteristic used by females when assessing the health of a mate.
Adapted from Focus Magazine, Issue 227 April 2011
