Greater Flamingo

The greater flamingo is a tall filter-feeding wader recognized for pink-white plumage, long legs, and dense social flocks in saline wetlands.

• Feeds with head inverted while filtering small prey and algae
• Moves in dense coordinated flocks that shift with water depth and food
• Uses visible group display behavior during breeding periods

Habitat: Salt pans, lagoons, estuaries, alkaline lakes, and shallow coastal wetlands.

Native range: Parts of Africa, southern Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia.

Greater Flamingo usually eats a mixed bird diet shaped by habitat, season, and bill function. Many birds combine animal protein with seeds, fruit, or other plant material.

• Insects and other small invertebrates
• Seeds, grain, fruit, or nectar depending on species
• Occasional small vertebrates, eggs, or scavenged food

Breeding season often increases the need for protein-rich prey even in birds that eat more plant material at other times.

Rarity: Uncommon · 52/100. Flamingos can be abundant at strong wetland sites but rely on a limited set of shallow nutrient-rich feeding systems.

• Keep far back from shallow feeding lines because flock flushes waste a lot of energy.
• Use long lenses at wetland hides rather than walking onto exposed flats.