# What Do Flamingos Eat?

> What flamingos eat: Filter feeder (algae and brine shrimp), foraging style, and seasonal shifts in Shallow lakes, lagoons, and estuaries.

- **Species:** Flamingo (*Phoenicopterus roseus*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Filter feeder (algae and brine shrimp)
- **Habitat:** Shallow lakes, lagoons, and estuaries
- **Lifespan:** 20–40+ years
- **Top speed:** Up to 60 km/h (37 mph) in flight
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/flamingo/what-do-flamingo-eat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/flamingo/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The flamingo is a tall wading bird famous for its vivid pink plumage, long legs, and habit of standing on one leg. Its color comes from pigments in the algae and brine shrimp it eats, filtered from the water with a specially shaped, upside-down bill. Flamingos live in large flocks in shallow lakes and lagoons, and some can reach 40 years or more.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian. This page is wild diet, not a pet-care sheet.

## Why flamingos are pink

Flamingos are not born pink; chicks hatch grey. Their famous color comes from pigments called carotenoids in the algae and tiny crustaceans they eat, which their bodies process and deposit in the feathers. A flamingo's exact shade reflects its diet, and the pinkest birds are often the best fed and most attractive mates.

## Help protect the Flamingo

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/flamingo/what-do-flamingo-eat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.