Elegant and iconic, this flamingo is known for its long neck, slender legs, and vibrant pink plumage. These social birds gather in large colonies where they perform graceful, synchronized courtship displays, making them one of nature’s most captivating sights.
Greater Flamingo
Zone
West Africa, Arabian
Scientific name
Phoenicopterus roseus
IUCN Red List status
Least Concern (LC)
Natural habitat
Middle East, Africa, southern Europe and South Asian brackish or saline shallow lagoons, salt lakes, wetlands and estuaries.
Dietary Requirements
Small crustaceans, insects, algae and plankton. Pink colouring primarily comes from carotenoids found in crustaceans.
Threats
Habitat loss through encroachment, climate change impacting water levels and food abundance, bacteria, toxins, and pollution in water supplies, usually contaminated run-off from manufacturing companies.
Conservation
Conservation efforts focus on protecting and restoring habitat, human disturbance near breeding grounds, and population monitoring.
Protected in several national parks and reserves, with efforts to regulate human activity near breeding grounds.
Protected in several national parks and reserves, with efforts to regulate human activity near breeding grounds.
Did you know?A group of flamingos is called a ‘Flamboyance’; they can live in colonies containing 50 to several thousand birds.
Did you know?Courtship behaviour includes coordinated head and wing movements in group displays.
About Al Ain Zoo
About Al Ain Zoo
A Pioneering Vision
Established in 1968 by the UAE’s founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Al Ain Zoo has been in the forefront of preserving the region’s wildlife and delicate ecosystem, while caring for hundreds of endangered animals.
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