Flamingos

1.   There are four species of flamingos
in the Americas, while two exist in
the Old World.

2.   A group of flamingos is called a "pat".

3.   Flamingos filter-feed on shellfish and algae. 

4.   Shellfish and shrimp, which flamingos eat, give them their distinctive pink color without this diet they would be white.

5.   Flamingos frequently stand on one leg, both when feeding and at rest. The reason for this behavior is not fully known.

6.   In addition to standing in the water, flamingos may stamp their webbed feet in the mud to stir up food from the bottom.

7.   Young flamingos hatch with grey plumage, but the feathers of an adult range from light pink to bright red, due to carotenoids obtained from their food supply.

8.   The pinker a flamingo is, the more desirable it is as a mate.

9.   A white or pale flamingo, however, is usually unhealthy or suffering from a lack of food. Notable exceptions are the flamingos in captivity, many of which turned a pale pink, as they are not fed foods containing sufficient amounts of carotene.

10.  All flamingos have 12 black flight feathers in each wing.