3/16/2023 0 Comments White flamingoAlternatively, they could be placed in one order, with Phoenocopteriformes taking priority. įor the grebe-flamingo clade, the taxon Mirandornithes ("miraculous birds" due to their extreme divergence and apomorphies) has been proposed. The fossil palaelodids can be considered evolutionarily, and ecologically, intermediate between flamingos and grebes. Many of these characteristics have been previously identified on flamingos, but not on grebes. They hold at least 11 morphological traits in common, which are not found in other birds. Recent molecular studies have suggested a relation with grebes, while morphological evidence also strongly supports a relationship between flamingos and grebes. Many molecular and morphological studies support a relationship between grebes and flamingos. A 2002 paper concluded they are waterfowl, but a 2014 comprehensive study of bird orders found that flamingos and grebes are not waterfowl, but rather are part of Columbea, along with doves, sandgrouse, and mesites. The peculiar presbyornithids were used to argue for a close relationship between flamingos, waterfowl, and waders. Relationships to the waterfowl were considered as well, especially as flamingos are parasitized by feather lice of the genus Anaticola, which are otherwise exclusively found on ducks and geese. Earlier genetic studies, such as those of Charles Sibley and colleagues, also supported this relationship. Usually, the ibises and spoonbills of the Threskiornithidae were considered their closest relatives within this order. Traditionally, the long-legged Ciconiiformes, probably a paraphyletic assemblage, have been considered the flamingos' closest relatives and the family was included in the order. The family Phoenicopteridae was introduced by the French zoologist Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1831, with Phoenicopterus as the type genus. ' crimson/red-feathered') other genera names include Phoeniconaias, which means "crimson/red water nymph (or naiad)", and Phoenicoparrus, which means "crimson/red bird (though, an unknown bird of omen)". The name of the genus, Phoenicopterus, is from the Greek φοινικόπτερος phoinikopteros, lit. The word may also have been influenced by the Spanish ethnonym flamenco ("Fleming" or "Flemish"). However, if what you feed your baby turns it pink, you should probably do something different.The name flamingo comes from Portuguese or Spanish flamengo ("flame-colored"), which in turn comes from Provençal flamenc – a combination of flama ("flame") and a Germanic-like suffix -ing. The pink coloring of these wonderful creatures are just one of many processes that young flamingos must experience, like how human babies aren’t born with the ability to speak or walk. Flamingo chicks are also born with straight beaks, which curve naturally over time as they age. It’s all a part of the growth process for young flamingos. But when a flamingo chick first escapes its egg, there’s nothing pink about it. The change is gradual and takes time, sometimes years. Flamingos are born with a white and/or gray coloring, and that doesn’t go away until the chick spends enough time gorging on some tasty shrimp and other foods loaded with carotenoids. Does That Mean Flamingo Chicks Aren’t Pink? These beautiful birds are naturally white - it’s their diet that turns them into the precious pink prancers you know and love. So, you might assume flamingos are naturally that pink tint that helps add to their majesty and beauty, but that’s not the case. That doesn’t necessarily mean that a white flamingo is an unhealthy flamingo, but it does mean that it’s not eating enough food that has the pigments that turn it pink. This is most common to occur in captivity, because a zoo might not be able to offer the flamingo the exact diet it would otherwise try to find in the wild. If you’ve ever seen a white flamingo, it’s because he or she hasn’t been getting the proper amount of beta carotene to turn themselves that pink color people love to admire. So, What Would Make Them White?Ī lack of those carotenoids is what can make them white. From there, it works its way through the animal’s body and provides a pink, red, and/or orange tint to its feathers, legs, and beak. The bird generally munches on algae, shrimp, and other crustaceans, and these foods are loaded with beta carotene (also called carotenoids), a pigment that a flamingo’s liver breaks down and then is absorbed by the bird’s fat. The reason for this coloring is because of what flamingos eat. To understand why flamingos can be white, you have to first understand why flamingos are often pink. White Greater Flamingos in Namibia, Africa - Photo by JIEPENGXIE/ Why Are Flamingos Pink?
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