Why is the flamingo a pink colour, when a lot of other animals and birds are coloured to suit their environment?

shanetrane

"Young flamingos hatch with grey plumage, but the feathers of an adult range from light pink to bright red due to the bacteria in the water they inhabit and the pigments obtained from their food supply. A flamingo that is well-fed and healthy is vibrantly coloured bright pink and is more desirable as a mate. A white or pale flamingo, however, is usually unhealthy or suffering from a lack of food. Notable exceptions are the flamingos in captivity, many of which turn a pale pink as they are not fed foods containing sufficient amounts of carotene. This is changing as more zoos begin to add shrimp and other supplements to the diets of their flamingos. In summary, flamingos obtain their color from a beta carotene diet, as mentioned above." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamingo#Colour Jan 20 08, 3:59 PM

mhenson400

A flamingo's pink or reddish feather color comes from its diet, which is high in alpha and beta-carotene. People eat beta-carotene when they eat carrots. http://www.thewildones.org/Animals/flamingo.html#pink Jan 20 08, 4:08 PM