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Fire Birds of the Tropical Zone
Amazing Flamingos are one of Planet Earth’s Most Famous Birds
by Deshi Bias, age 11
Flamingos are amazing creatures. They have a lot of physical characteristics that make them unique.
Flamingos are very beautiful animals. They are known for
their natural pink color. A flamingo’s color depends on what it eats.
The bright pink or reddish color is from eating food such as algae and
shrimp. Their color also depends on where they live. For example, in
South America flamingos have pinkish-white feathers and in the Caribbean
area they have coral-red feathers. These amazing creatures can be found
in the Henry Vilas Zoo for everyone to see.
Most
flamingos live in South America, India and Africa near shallow lakes and
rivers. Flamingos build nests that look like domes made of mud. In a
shallow hole at the top of their nest, the female flamingo will lay one
egg that takes 30 days to hatch. Both the male and female flamingos will
take turns sitting on the egg.
Flamingos have features
that help them fly and run. These birds have long legs and necks that
stretch far out. They can run on water because they have webbed feet
that help them gain speed while leaping into the air.
Flamingo’s favorite foods are shrimp, shrill, and plant like
algae. A flamingo uses its beak like an ice cream scooper to scoop up
its food. Their special beaks work like a filter to separate muddy water
from food.
[Source: National Geographic]
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