30 July 2016
At Copenhagen Zoo, we have two species of flamingos – Cuban flamingos and Greater flamingos. In the wild, they live in separate areas, but one thing they have in common is their feeding method. They submerge their entire heads and parts of their necks underwater to feed. They then stir up mud with their feet and filter water from their mouths through their specialised beaks. The water is expelled, and the food remains in their mouths. Both species also build domed nests with an indentation at the top – almost like a mini-volcano, made from mud, stones, grass, and feathers. They usually lay a single egg there, which they then incubate for 27-31 days.