21-6-2023 RACO DE OLLA, VALENCIA - GREATER FLAMINGO (JUVENILE) (Phoenicopterus roseus)

Flamingo chicks hatch with white-gray, downy feathers and straight bills. It takes several years for them to acquire their signature pink color and hook-shaped bills.

Flamingos and shrimp are actually both pink from eating algae that contains carotenoid pigments. Flamingos eat both algae and shrimp-like critters, and both contribute to their fabulous pinkness.

Does the word carotenoid look familiar? The root of this word is ‘carot’ because these same pigments are what make carrots orange! In fact, if you eat too many carrots (which we do not recommend) your skin will also turn an orange/pink shade!