Dwarf flamingo

Fossil remains show that flamingos changed little in appearance over 30 million years.

Discover in real life
Dwarf flamingo

  • Habitat

    Africa along the west and south coasts and near lakes and rivers, also in India.

  • Food

    blue-green algae, diatoms and brine shrimp

  • Lifetime

    28 years on average

  • Weight

    up to 2 kilos

  • Length

    100 cm

  • Number of eggs

    1

  • Incubation time

    about 1 month

  • IUCN Status

    sensitive

  • EEP?

    no

  • 30

    inches, that's how high a dwarf flamingo can make its mud nest

  • 28

    years, which is how old a dwarf flamingo gets on average

  • 2

    kilograms, that's how much a dwarf flamingo weighs about

    • A sieve in the beak

    Flamingos eat with their heads bent down. In their beak is a very fine sieve. With their tongue, they pump salt water and mud through their beak. This is how they filter their food out of the water. Dwarf flamingos eat mostly from the top of the water. They almost never put their whole head under water.

    Mud piles

    Dwarf flamingos form flocks during the breeding season. In pairs, they make a nest from mud. Such a nest can be up to 30 centimeters high. The mud hardens and one egg is laid in a dimple on top. Father and mother take turns to brood. They alternate every 24 hours.