15/10/2026
Two flamingo species share this lagoon without competing for food.
Lesser flamingos, smaller and a deeper pink, sweep their bills through the surface water and filter out microscopic algae.
Greater flamingos stand taller and paler. They feed lower down, sifting small invertebrates from the mud and often treading the bottom to stir food up first.
Both get their colour from carotenoid pigments in what they eat. Without those pigments, new feathers grow in pale.
Next time you see a mixed flock, look at the bills. Greater flamingos carry a pale pink bill with a black tip. Lesser flamingos have a dark crimson bill that looks almost black from a distance.
