Flamingos are among the most popular animals in zoos. There always seems to be a crowd observing them, as was the case when I photographed this grouping at the San Diego Zoo. I didn’t know that a group of Flamingos was called a “flamboyance’, but there it is. They are certainly very colorful, interesting to observe, and fun to photograph.
Flamingos have a tall (about 5 feet) gawky appearance, with long spindly legs, slender necks, and hooked beaks. The color of their plumage is acquired from pigments in their diet (shrimp and algae) – they are naturally a pale grayish color. If their diet changes, their color will fade.
There are several species of flamingo which are far-flung, including in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. They like to gather in groups and wade in shallow alkaline lakes.
