Chilean Flamingo

You are what you eat.’ At least if you are a flamingo. The flamingo is pink because of its diet, which includes algae and small shrimps. These contain colouring: beta-carotene. In the past, flamingos in captivity lost much of their colour because their diet didn’t include this.

It has a special way of looking for food, shovelling its bill through shallow water. The bill has a kind of sieve, rather like the baleen plates of a whale. This enables it to filter algae or small creatures from the water. Fortunately, it has webbed feet, otherwise it would sink into the mud.

When it comes to mating, all the males dance in a group for the females. Then the fun really begins. The male lands on the back of the female. It’s all very acrobatic – try keeping your balance like this!