What is unique about the way flamingos eat is that a flamingo must bend its neck and tilts its head upside-down, sweeping from side to side to extract food from shallow water. While a flamingo's diet varies by species, which can be determined by the shape of their bill, all flamingos eat in this manner. A flamingo then filters their food by pumping water through their bill at around 20 times per second. The flamingo's spiny tongue allows for easy filtration and any excess water is passed back through the bill. A flamingo may utilize their webbed feet to stir up potential food for ingesting. Their diet typically consists of types of algae, larvae, small fish, insects and crustaceans.
More about flamingos::
- A flamingo's diet contributes to their reddish and pink colored feathers.
- In some parts of the world, a flamingo's eggs are considered a delicacy.
- While some biologists consider a flamingo's night vision to be relatively poor, it is still better than a human's ability to see at night.