Flamingos get their pink colour from pigments found in the food they eat.

The longer version

The colour comes from carotenoids, pigments that flamingos cannot make for themselves. Algae and small crustaceans in the water carry them, the gut absorbs them, and enzymes break some down into pink and orange forms that are then deposited in growing feathers, skin and even the egg yolk.

A flamingo on a diet without those pigments fades toward white as it moults, which is why colour has to be managed in captivity. Brighter birds are preferred as mates, so the colour works as a signal of foraging success. The same pigments redden many other feathers and the flesh of salmon.

Where this entry sits

Here you will find feathered trivia about flight, migration, nests, eggs, and the songs birds sing. Expect short surprising facts on penguins, owls, hummingbirds, and other familiar birds from gardens, forests, wetlands, and distant coastlines. The full list sits on the Birds page, where every entry is listed in order.