They are born with grey feathers, which gradually turn pink in the wild because of a natural pink dye called canthaxanthin.
They obtain the dye from the food they eat.
(Brine Shrimp and Blue-Green Algae)
They will lose most of their pink color if they change diets. Flamingos in zoos are fed synthetic canthaxanthin to maintain the illusion.
It would seem that even nature is a painter.
Crazy, flamingos can survive harsh and extreme environments from what I understand. A tough bird.
I’ve also heard that they are basically poisonous to eat, sine they eat a lot of bacteria and other harmful things. They basically live and eat in cesspools.
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That should keep them safe from us for awhile.
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Maybe, I wonder though. I’m sure they are hunted for their feathers though.
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It’s possible but I hope not.
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Hhmm interesting
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Wow. The word canthaxanthin looks similar to the same word that gives salmon their reddish-pink color.
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Really? I hadn’t known that. I thought that they were always pink.
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Wow. You learn something new every day.
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