A pink Chilean flamingo wading and feeding in shallow water. — Photo: David F. Belmonte, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Chilean Flamingo

Phoenicopterus chilensis

A pink flamingo of the high, cold salt flats of the southern Andes that feeds with its head upside down.

🪿 Wading Birds

Checking teacher reviews…

Teacher? Sign in to review this page →Report a mistake

About the Chilean Flamingo

Chilean flamingos live from central Peru to Tierra del Fuego in Argentina, mostly high above the tree line on salt flats and marshy wetlands, as high as 4,000 meters. They can stand over 3 feet tall but usually weigh less than 5 pounds. To eat, they turn their heads upside down and sweep their bills through the water, straining out tiny food. Beta carotene in their food turns them pink.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Phoenicopterus chilensis^[1]
Size: Can stand over 3 feet tall.^[1]
Weight: Usually less than 5 pounds.^[1]
Lifespan: 40 to 50 years.^[1]
Diet: Filter feeder. Strains tiny food from the water.^[1]
Habitat: Salt flats and marshy wetlands, mostly above the tree line.^[1]
Where it lives: Central Peru to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, from sea level to over 4,000 m.^[1]
Group life: Large flocks made of pairs that stay together.^[1]
Babies: One chick, raised on a short mud nest.^[1]
Conservation status: Near Threatened (IUCN Red List, assessed 2018).^[2]

Fun facts

The flamingo joint that looks like a backward knee is actually an ankle.^[1]
Flamingo parents can find their own chick among thousands of others.^[1]
Chilean flamingos live as high as 4,000 meters (13,000 feet).^[1]

Vocabulary

filter feeder: An animal that eats by straining tiny bits of food out of water.
beta carotene: An orange pigment in plants and algae that can color animals that eat it.
salt flat: Flat ground covered with salt left behind by dried-up water.
tree line: The height on a mountain above which trees can't grow.
near threatened: A conservation label meaning a species may become threatened soon.

See it in person

Zoo AtlantaAtlanta, Georgia · All AnimalsSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗
San Francisco Zoo & GardensSan Francisco, California · BirdsSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Zoo Atlanta. “Chilean Flamingo.” https://zooatlanta.org/animal/chilean-flamingo/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Phoenicopterus chilensis (Chilean Flamingo).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22697365/132068236 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

More Wading Birds

African Sacred IbisThreskiornis aethiopicusA white ibis with a black head and neck that ancient Egyptians honored as a symbol of the god Thoth.African SpoonbillPlatalea albaA pure white African wading bird with a red face and legs and a long, spoon-shaped bill for sweeping up fish.American FlamingoPhoenicopterus ruberThe brightest-colored flamingo, also called the Caribbean flamingo, that filter-feeds with its bill upside down.Black Crowned CraneBalearica pavoninaA dark West African crane with a golden crown of stiff feathers that roosts in trees and dances when it breeds.Blue CraneAnthropoides paradiseusThe national bird of South Africa, a blue-gray crane of grasslands famous for courtship dances that can last for hours.

Cattle EgretBubulcus ibisA small white heron that follows grazing animals to catch the insects they stir up, and has spread from Africa around the world.Grey Crowned CraneBalearica regulorum (East African crowned crane: B. r. gibbericeps)An endangered African crane with a crown of stiff golden feathers, shown on the flag of Uganda. Also called the East African crowned crane.Hadada IbisBostrychia hagedashA gray-brown African ibis with shiny green-purple wings, named for its loud "haa-haa-haa-de-dah" call.HamerkopScopus umbrettaA brown African wading bird with a hammer-shaped head that builds the biggest nest of any bird in Africa.Lesser FlamingoPhoeniconaias minorThe world's smallest flamingo, which filters tiny algae from salty lakes and gathers in flocks of tens of thousands.Madagascar Crested IbisLophotibis cristataA forest ibis found only on Madagascar, with a brown body, white wings and a shiny greenish-blue crest.Malagasy Sacred IbisThreskiornis bernieriAn endangered white ibis with a black head and pale blue eyes that lives along the coasts of western Madagascar and Aldabra.

Marabou StorkLeptoptilos crumeniferA huge, bald-headed African stork that feeds mostly on dead animals and often gathers near lakes, rivers, garbage dumps and fishing villages.Northern Bald IbisGeronticus eremitaA glossy black ibis with a bald red head, also called the waldrapp, that was once common in Europe and is now one of the world's rarest birds.Roseate SpoonbillPlatalea ajajaA bright pink wading bird of the Americas that sweeps its spoon-shaped bill through shallow water to catch food.Scarlet IbisEudocimus ruberA bright red wading bird of northern South America that feeds mostly on crayfish and small crabs.Snowy EgretEgretta thulaAn all-white heron of the Americas with a black bill and bright yellow feet, famous for its lacy breeding plumes.Straw-Necked IbisThreskiornis spinicollisAn Australian ibis with straw-like neck feathers and a shiny back, nicknamed the "farmer's friend" for eating grasshoppers.Wattled CraneBugeranus carunculatusA tall African wetland crane with flaps of skin hanging from its chin that shrink when it's nervous and lengthen when it's excited.White StorkCiconia ciconiaA big white-and-black bird with a red bill that breeds in Europe, winters in Africa and inspired the story of storks delivering babies.White-Naped CraneGrus vipio (also called Antigone vipio)A tall gray-and-white crane of East Asian wetlands with a red face and pink legs, famous for its dancing.Yellow-Billed StorkMycteria ibisA tall white African stork with a bright yellow bill and red face that feels for fish and frogs in shallow water.