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Flamingos are naturally white?
Blasphemy!
Everyone knows that flamingos are pink!
And yet, there are white flamingos in many zoos all over the world.
Do we just choose to ignore it because we already have a mental picture of what a perfect flamingo looks like?
Anyway, a flamingo’s color is a sign of how healthy it is. The more vibrantly colored it is, the healthier.
You see, flamingos turn pink because of their diet. They feed on algae, brine, and mostly anything they can catch in the water. It is the bacteria and beta-carotene present in their food sources’ bodies that they then ingest and process internally that turns them pink.
The beta-carotene then finds its way to the flamingos’ feathers.
So, it goes without saying that a healthy, well-fed flamingo is pinker (?) than one that’s been deprived of proper nutrition.
Totally white flamingos are often seen as freaks of nature because that means they haven’t really had any access to the proper food source or have some form of albinism.
Whatever the case may be, white flamingos are seen as lesser or sub-standard members of the species. They’re also viewed as unappealing mates.
The next time you visit a zoo or venture into the wild where flamingos are present, take a closer look at their color. Just remember that: flamingos are naturally white but they need to be pink in color.
That is a clear indicator of their health status and you can do your part in reporting it to the proper wildlife authorities or experts so they can do something about it.
And let’s face it, pink flamingos are better to look at than those without the proper hue.
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