Range

South America is the native home of the Chilean flamingo. Here as their name suggests they can be found in Chile but also throughout Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, The Falkland Islands and Uruguay.

Habitat

They make their home in wetlands and coastal mudflats. Their breeding habitat requires islands which have mudflats surrounding them.

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Reproduction

Pairs of flamingoes are monogamous. The male and female breed among a group of other flamingoes with at least 15 to 18 birds required before a colony begins mating. Nesting is synchronized among members of the colony.

Mating takes place in the water. Chilean flamingoes appear to have greater breeding success if they have brighter colors.

A male and female will create a nest by scooping mud together. Stones may also be used in the construction.

In to this nest the female will deposit a white egg. The pair work together to incubate this over the next 26 to 31 days. At hatching the young are covered with grey down feathers.

Once the egg hatches both the male and female will work together to feed their chick crop milk.

Within 5 to 8 day of hatching the chick will be moved to a crèche with other chicks. Using an individual call the parents can find their chick.

It takes between 65 and 70 days for the chick to fledge. It is around this time that they gain the ability to fly.

A Chilean flamingo chick may take two to three years before its adult plumage develops. Sexual maturity is reached at this point but on average they are six before they breed for the first time.

Breeding is dependent on rainfall and the amount of food available meaning some years a colony may not breed.

Behavior

Chilean flamingoes have the ability to stand on one leg for as many as four hours at one time. The most widely accepted theory for why they do this is that it conserves energy and body heat.

They are a social species which will form flocks of between ten and thousands of individuals.

While flying a group of Chilean flamingoes will make a v-shaped formation. They communicate with one another using a loud goose-like call.

A large portion of their day is spent preening which helps to keep their feathers waterproof and ready to fly.

Predators and Threats

There are few natural predators of the Chilean flamingo as they live in remote areas.

Humans pose a range of threats to the Chilean flamingo including through habitat loss and hunting. Their tongue was once seen as a delicacy in some cultures and was also believed to be a cure for tuberculosis. Their feathers are sought after for use.

Habitat loss is driven by mining and water being taken for irrigation projects.

Their eggs are collected in large numbers and in some areas this has lead to a collapse of colonies.

Quick facts

The word ‘flamingo’ comes from the Spanish and Latin words for ‘fire.’ This is a reference to their bright pink feathers.

A range of names may be used for a group of flamingoes. These include a stand, regiment, colony or flamboyance.

Flamingoes are an ancient bird with their first appearance in the fossil record being 10 million years ago.

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