Flamingos are interesting animals, to say the least. For starters, they are one of the few species of animals that are monogamous; meaning, flamingo pairs mate for life. In similar fashion to humans, flamingo couples hatch one egg at a time—generally one per year—and it's even believed that flamingo pairings—a group of which is called a flamboyance—will mate around the same time. This way, their eggs will hatch at the same time, too, and can grow up together. How adorable is that?
But perhaps even more fascinating than their dating and mating habits is, of course, the flamingo's famous pink hue. Very few animals are naturally pink: the web-footed gecko, the Bargibant's pygmy seahorse, the orchid mantis, and of course, pigs. But although the flamingo might share the same pink pigment with these aforementioned animals, the flamingo's pink color isn't actually natural. As in, flamingos are not born pink.
So, why, then, do we associate flamingos with the color pink? Why are adult flamingos pink if the babies are born a different color? All these frequently asked flamingo questions—and more—are answered below by some of the top experts on exotic animals and birds.
If flamingos aren't born pink and technically are not naturally pink, then what causes them to turn pink? According to Lauren Hinson, General Curator at the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Florida, it's all in the diet.
"Flamingos are pink due to a naturally occurring chemical that is found in the food they eat," Hinson explains. "Their diet includes algae and crustaceans and is the same chemical can be found in other foods including carrots and pumpkins."
This chemical is called beta-carotene, according to Live Science, and is an organic chemical with a natural reddish-pinkish-orange pigment. In fact, if a human were to eat a profound amount of either carrots or pumpkins, they, too, would experience the color-changing effects of beta-carotene. Yup; our skin would turn pinkish-orange, too!