Greater Flamingo

The greater flamingo is the largest and most widespread flamingo. It stands 110–150 cm tall on long, entirely pink legs. Most of the plumage is pinkish-white, the wing coverts are red and the flight feathers black, The bill is pink with a small black tip. Young birds are paler with dark legs, and chicks are covered in grey down. The call is a goose-like honking (Wikipedia, general species account).

The pink colour comes from carotenoid pigments in the tiny organisms flamingos filter from the water. In the breeding season, flamingos spread more of their carotenoid-rich preen oil over their feathers, making themselves pinker in a kind of cosmetic display. Like all flamingos, the greater flamingo lays a single chalky-white egg on a mud mound. Adults feeding chicks become paler but keep their bright pink legs (Wikipedia, general species account).