If you watch these pink flamingos, you’ll probably wonder right away why these animals often stand on one leg. In nature, flamingos live on salty waters. To protect the skin on their legs from cold, they always replace their “water leg”, so the salt cannot harm them. Flamingos are native to the tropical regions of the world.
They find their food by filtering small crustaceans and insects out of the water with their beaks. The small crustaceans contain carotenoids (natural dyes) and color the plumage of the flamingos over time. If they do not consume carotenoids, the flamingos will turn white within a short time. The pink flamingo is widespread. They live in Africa, southwest Asia and southwestern Europe. They are also found in the Galapagos Islands. Flamingos often move in sync in their group. They go foraging together, take breaks together and take the typical resting position – immobile standing on one leg, with angled neck and head concealed in plumage. If the colony is troubled for some reason, all the animals stretch their necks, move their heads from side to side in nervous circles, and make shrill cries. If the danger continues, the entire colony – up to several hundred thousand animals – moves in the same direction.