Chilean Flamingo Facts

Name: Flamenco chileno, Flamenco austral / Chilean flamingo
Scientific Name: Phoenicopterus chileansis
Family: Phoenicopteridae
Order: n/a
Size: Measures between 95 and 105cm (41.3 – 45.7in)
Weight: n/a

Description:
Bird of long, slender legs. It has a beak with an abrupt downward bend. Neck, breasts, wings and skin are light pink. The male is larger than the female and youth are grey.

Reproduction:
Nest mainly in the Tarapaca region, but also in Northern Patagonia (Argentina).

Distribution:
Found in the regions of Tarapaca, Aysen and Magallanes.

Residence:
Groups of flamingos that are not in reproductive activity can be seen all year around.

Features:
No apparent sexual dimorphism.

Food:
Through its beak it filters microscopic animals and plants in the water. The minute crustaceans that it swallows give the necessary pigments to maintain their striking color.

Habitat:
Shallow saline lakes, occasionally the sea, waters with plenty of organic material, these are generally brackish water, but sometimes they live in freshwater.