Can Flamingos Fly?

With their majestic pink feathers, stilt-like legs, and long necks, flamingos are some of the most fascinating birds alive today. However, these characteristics make one wonder how they manage to survive the dangers of their environment. Of course, flamingos can swim, but can flamingos fly to escape predators or search for food? Keep reading to find out.

Flamingo Flight Mechanics

Flamingo flight is often situational rather than being their primary method of locomotion. However, flamingos are quite capable of high-altitude and long-distance flight. On longer flights, flamingos typically choose clear nights for better visibility and favorable tailwinds.

Takeoff

Launching into flight requires quite a bit of momentum. That’s where the lanky legs of the flamingo prove beneficial. Whether on land or wading in water, a flamingo begins takeoff by facing into the wind, running at full speed, and rapidly flapping its wings.

A greater flamingo can weigh up to 9 pounds, but this weight is compensated for by a wingspan that can reach 5 feet. When taking off, flamingos stick their heads forward and continue to flap their wings and pedal their legs until they stabilize.

In Flight

While in the air, the flamingo rapidly and continuously flaps its wings. However, they will take advantage of prevailing winds to conserve their energy. To maximize their aerodynamic efficiency, they extend their legs horizontally behind them and stretch their heads forward as far as possible. When flying as a flock, they tend to fly in a V-formation. This allows them to save energy, as each flap of their wings pushes air backward, helping to lift the birds behind them.

Flamingos are effective long-distance fliers, capable of flying over 350 miles in one night and reaching speeds between 35 to 40 mph. They typically fly at altitudes of 10,000 to 13,000 feet; however, flamingos in the Andes have been observed at altitudes of around 20,000 feet. Flying at these altitudes allows flamingos to expend less energy in flight and also serves as a method for avoiding detection by predators.

Landing

Landing is similar to a plane touching down. Flamingos begin to slow themselves down as they drop in altitude and then extend their legs vertically like landing gear as they begin to approach sea level. Their large, webbed feet also help increase drag and maintain stability as they touch down. They briefly run atop the surface of the water to further slow their momentum before settling into the water.

When and Why Do Flamingos Fly?

Flamingos fly frequently, but they are not airborne as often as other birds. They fly short distances to socialize or visit other feeding sites. They also fly to retreat to the water if they spot a predator. The simplest explanation for why flamingos don’t fly more often is that their situation doesn’t demand it. This is common among specialist species, which have developed feeding habits that are highly reliant on their specific environment. For flamingos, this food is brine shrimp. The algae this shrimp eats produce a chemical called carotenoid, which turns the flamingos’ feathers pink.

While that bright coloring makes them more visible to predators, their long legs allow them to wade in deeper waters where threats like lions and packs of hyenas can’t stalk and pursue them effectively. In some instances, these wading birds have developed extreme adaptations to wade in peace. Lake Natron in Tanzania has water that’s toxic enough to strip away skin, but the local flamingos have developed incredibly tough skin, allowing them to stand in it safely for indefinite periods.

Due to those specialized conditions, most flamingos tend to gather into sedentary colonies. However, short-distance relocations are not uncommon, especially in areas with regular drought or flooding. Additionally, some populations of flamingos are migratory. For example, Andean flamingos live at elevations above 10,000 feet, so they must migrate when their lake habitats freeze over in the winter. When flamingos migrate long distances, they usually do so in large flocks, though not necessarily including the entire colony.

Flamingo Flight Feathers

By the time a flamingo chick leaves the nest at around 5 to 12 days, it is already strong enough to walk and swim. Although flamingo chicks are born with gray or white feathers, they don’t begin to develop their flight feathers until around the age of 10 to 12 weeks of age.

Young flamingos are not taught to fly by their parents. Instead, they teach themselves to fly by practicing. They start with short flights, gradually increasing the time and distance as they gain strength and skill.