American Flamingo
Phoenicopterus ruber
The American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) is a uncommon flamingo found in 52 countries, weighing about 3.0 kg. The American flamingo is a large species of flamingo native to the West Indies, northern South America and the Yucatán Peninsula.
About the American Flamingo
The American flamingo is a large species of flamingo native to the West Indies, northern South America and the Yucatán Peninsula. It is closely related to the greater flamingo and Chilean flamingo, and was formerly considered conspecific with the greater flamingo, but that treatment is now widely viewed as incorrect due to a lack of evidence. It is also known as the Caribbean flamingo, although it is also present in the Galápagos Islands. It is the only flamingo that naturally inhabits North America.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The American flamingo is a large wading bird with reddish-pink plumage. Like all flamingos, it lays a single chalky-white egg on a mud mound, between May and August; incubation until hatching takes from 28 to 32 days; both parents brood their young. They may reach sexual maturity between 3 and 6 years of age, though usually they do not reproduce until they are 6 years old. Their life expectancy of 40 years is one of the longest in birds. Adult American flamingos are smaller on average than greater flamingos, but are the largest flamingos in the Americas.
What the American Flamingo sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Germany, Spain, Israel, Sweden, Belgium, Canada, Italy, Netherlands, Belize, Honduras, Austria, Malawi, Guadeloupe, Martinique.
When to see it
The American Flamingo can be seen all year round, with peak activity in January. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an American Flamingo?
- The American flamingo is a large wading bird with reddish-pink plumage. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is an American Flamingo?
- The American Flamingo is a huge sized bird weighing about 3.0 kg.
- Where can you see an American Flamingo?
- The American Flamingo occurs in 52 countries, including South Africa, the United States, Mexico, Caribbean Netherlands and Ecuador.
- What does an American Flamingo sound like?
- You can listen to a field recording of the American Flamingo on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to an American Flamingo?
- The American Flamingo is most easily confused with the Chilean Flamingo and the Greater Flamingo.
- Is the American Flamingo endangered?
- The American Flamingo is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the American Flamingo for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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