American Flamingo

The American flamingo is a large species of flamingo closely related to the greater flamingo and Chilean flamingo native to the Neotropics. It was formerly considered conspecific with the greater flamingo, but that treatment is now widely viewed as incorrect due to a lack of evidence. American, or Caribbean, flamingos are distributed throughout the Caribbean Islands and along the northern coast of South America. They usually live in the shallows of salt or brackish water or alkaline lakes. Cuba is home to approximately 70 thousand Caribbean flamingos and 50 thousand chicks. The largest colonies can be found in the Rio Maximo Wildlife Reserve, where Cuban biologists are focused on the conservation and rehabilitation of the birds.

Scientific name: Phoenicopterus ruber

Higher classification: Greater Flamingos

Weight: 4-8 pounds

Family: Phoenicopteridae

Kingdom: Animalia

Order: Phoenicopteriformes