Lesser flamingos (Phoeniconaias minor) have pale pink plumage, with black feathers on their wings, although the chicks hatch with grey legs and feathers and a straight bill. They form large, sociable colonies and pairs mate for life.
Flamingos rely on their acute eyesight and hearing for protection, calling and flashing their black wing feathers to communicate with one another. Eggs and chicks are the prey of marabou and vultures but adult birds are regular targets of lions, cheetahs, leopards, jackals and even pythons.
A flamingo eats by holding its bill upside-down and swinging it backwards and forwards in the water, filtering up to 20 litres of water a day. Lamellae (or spines) in the bill catch filtered food particles.
