American Flamingos are unmistakable birds that are remarkably unique and attractive.
They are one of six species of Flamingo across the world and are washed in a magnificent bright pink pigment with black feathers dotted along the rear edges of their wings.
Apart from their distinctive colour, they are most recognised for their curiously bent bill that extends downwards like a coat hanger.
They are very tall birds, the average adult being 5 feet (1.5 meters), and they have a particularly slender body and very thin, long legs.
They are notoriously water-based creatures and use their elongated bills to gather food from the water – feeding on plankton, small fish and algae, among other aquatic creatures.
You may find that they usually are found in flocks in shallow lagoons and fly in straggling lines, similar to geese.
American Flamingos breed in the tropics of the Caribbean and the Galapagos, as well as the Bahamas and similar climates.
In more recent years, North American zoos and aviaries play host to these flamingos, and there aren’t many loose flamingos outside of such institutions.
Some may be spotted, however, in warmer climates such as Southern Florida and Texas.