The flamingo, is one of the most recognisable and unique looking birds you will ever see. Hard to mistake for anything else, and with very loud vocalizations. There are 6 species of flamingo across the world, and they prefer to congregate around some temperate, but mostly tropical and subtropical areas. But where do flamingos live exactly? And what is their preferred habitat? Let’s explore.
Where Do Flamingos Live?
There are four ‘New World’ species of flamingo that live in areas across the Americas, and two ‘Old World’ species that live across Africa, Asia and Europe. There used to be flamingos on Australia, but these died off around the time of the last Ice Age.
Each of the six species has their own specific range and appearance.
Old World Flamingos
Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)
Location: Africa, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, The Middle East, Areas of Southern Europe from Spain right across to Bulgaria.
The Greater Flamingo is both the largest and the most widely distributed of the six species of flamingo on our planet. It is an easily identifiable, colorful wading bird and is often found flocking together with the Lesser Flamingo in the great salt lakes across Africa.
Greater Flamingos are found in a variety of saltwater habitats including salt or alkaline lakes, estuaries, shallow coastal lagoons and mudflats. They rarely inhabit areas of freshwater other than using freshwater inlets for bathing and drinking. Greater Flamingos that live outside the tropics often migrate to warmer climates for the winter months.
Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor)
Location: Western India, Sub-Saharan Africa.
While the Greater Flamingo is the most widespread, the Lesser Flamingo is the species that has the largest population. It is also the smallest of the flamingos, and can be told apart from its larger old-world cousin not only by its size, but by the more extensive black color on its bill.
The Lesser Flamingo live and breed around alkaline lakes. Their primary breeding habitats in Africa include Lake Natron in northern Tanzania and Kamfers Dam in South Africa, and the salt pans of Etosha Pan and Makgadikgadi Pan in Namibia and Botswana. These breeding ground are all highly caustic.
Outside of Africa, the lesser flamingo also has breeding grounds around salt pans in Northwest India. Though most of these flamingos are found in Africa.
New World Flamingos
Chilean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis)
Location: Ecuador, Peru, Chili, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and seasonally in Uruguay. Also recently introduced to the Netherlands in Europe.
The Chilean Flamingo is very similar to the American Flamingo and the Greater Flamingo but can be told apart by it plumage. It is more pink than the greater flamingo, but less pink than the Caribbean flamingo. It is also smaller than the greater flamingo. It can also be told apart by its pink joints that contrast against the grey of their legs.
Chilean Flamingos are predominantly an inland species. They live around salt lagoons, mudflats and soda lakes across South America, but much of their habitat is at risk from human pressures such as pollution and habitat loss. As such, populations are in decline and this species are classed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
James’s Flamingo (Phoenicoparrus jamesi)
Location: High altitudes in the Andes, across Peru, Chili, Bolivia, Argentina.
The James’s Flamingo, also known as the Puna Flamingo, shares much the same habitat as the Andean Flamingo. They are also closely related to each other and the only two species in the genus Phoenicoparrus. It can be told apart from the Andean Flamingo as it is smaller in size, has knee joints at the top of their thin legs that are not externally visible and the red color of their legs.
This flamingo gets its name from the naturist Harry Berkeley James who was known for studying the bird. They are the rarest of the flamingo species, and are often seen living in colonies with both the Andean and Chilean flamingos.
Their breeding habitat is restricted to the plateau areas of the Andes across the wetlands and mudflats. In the winter months when the high altitude wetlands may freeze over, these flamingos will migrate to lower altitudes in Argentina and Bolivia. The odd bird may also make its way as far north as Florida in a mixed flock with other flamingos.
Andean Flamingo (Phoenicoparrus andinus)
Location: High altitudes in the Andes, across Peru, Chili, Bolivia, Argentina.
Much like the James’s Flamingo, the Andean Flamingo is native to the High Altitude wetlands of the Andes Mountains in South America. They often live in mixed colonies with other Chilean and James’s Flamingos as the three species share habitat. Interbreeding is also known to occur and all species are very tolerant of each other.
You can tell the Andean Flamingo apart from its neighboring species by its deeper, lower mandible and long filtering filaments on the maxilla. It is also the largest species of flamingo living in the Andes range.
The Andes Flamingo is a migratory species. They live in highland salt flats during the summer, and migrate to lower altitude wetlands, mostly in Argentina and up towards Southern Peru during the winter months. The cold weather at high altitudes likely plays a part in the migratory behaviour.
American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber)
Location: Around the Caribbean from Mexico, the Caribbean Islands and Florida, south to The Galapagos, Brazil, Venezuela, Belize and Colombia.
The American Flamingo is also known as the Caribbean Flamingo or the Galapagos Flamingo. It is closely related to the Greater Flamingo, though slightly smaller in size. Those that breed in the Galapagos and notably smaller than those that breed in the Caribbean. It can be found widely around the Caribbean coastal areas and islands, the Bahamas, Turks and Virgin Islands, as well as further south.
Muck like other species of flamingo, they prefer saltwater mudflats and lagoons as their habitat. This is where they find most of their food – brine shrimp. Some examples of their habitat include the salt-water lagoons hidden in the lava fields behind the coast of the Galapagos Islands. In Mexico, they can be found in the Petenes mangroves ecoregion of the Yucatán.
Are Flamingos Migratory?
Flamingos that live in more temperate, northerly areas outside the tropics, are known to migrate to warmer regions for the winter months. Example of this would be the Greater Flamingo populations that breed in Germany and move south in the winter. Or the high altitude Andes Flamingo that migrate to lower altitudes in Argentina, Peru and as far north as Florida during the cold season.
Of those that do migrate, they often return to their native colony to breed. Though some have been known to join neighboring colonies.
Those that breed in tropical or subtropical areas tend to stay there around the whole year, and are not migratory. Examples of this are the greater flamingos found in the bird sanctuaries of India.
What Type Of Habitat Do Flamingos Live In?
Across all species of Flamingo, their preferred habitats include salt lakes, mudflats, alkaline wetlands and lagoons. There are usually very caustic areas that are sparse of any vegetation. Some inland populations will also choose to live by lakes that are free of fish, so that they don’t have competition for food.
Food availability plays an important part in the location of colonies. Competition may result in relocation, and for those that are algae eaters, change in climate and the impact this can have on water sources – like flooding – can severely impact a habitat. This can force flamingos to seek out new habitats as their native ones become less suitable.