Learn what they look like, where they live in the wild, how their bill helps them eat, and what their life is like in the National Zoo. Male and female American flamingos are alike in plumage. Their characteristic pink and crimson coloration is unmistakable. The primary feathers are black. They have three front toes that are webbed, in addition to a hind toe. Males are taller and weigh more than females. They also have longer bills and wider wing spans. Flamingos have 17 elongated cervical vertebrae that permit them to feed in deep water. The bill is curved and uniquely adapted for filter feeding tiny organisms out of the water. Flamingos at the National Zoo are banded with numbered plastic yellow bands for individual identification.

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Website: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/Birds/Focus_on_flamingoes/identification.cfm