Mother and Child

? The lesser flamingo is one of the smallest and the brightest of the flamingos These flamingos are not born pink! Their color comes from the carotenoid pigments they consume as part of their diet. Lesser Flamingos can live up to 50 years in the wild. The name ‘Flamingo’ is derived from Portuguese meaning ‘red goose’ These flamingos are known for their large flocks. Some flocks are known to contain up to one million lesser flamingos. The flamingo is unique in that the adults, both male and female, provide their young with “milk” excreted from their esophagus that contains more protein and fat than mammalian milk.