A flock of pink lesser flamingos standing in shallow water. — Photo: Sumita Roy Dutta, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Lesser Flamingo

Phoeniconaias minor

The world's smallest flamingo, which filters tiny algae from salty lakes and gathers in flocks of tens of thousands.

🪿 Wading Birds

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About the Lesser Flamingo

Lesser flamingos stand just under 3 feet tall and weigh 3 to 4.5 pounds. They have a very dark bill and bright pink legs, and their feathers range from white to pink. They live in salty and alkaline waters in parts of Africa and western India. Their pink color comes from natural pigments called carotenoids in the tiny algae they eat.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Phoeniconaias minor^[1]
Size: Just under 3 feet tall; wingspan about 3 feet.^[1]
Weight: 3 to 4.5 pounds.^[1]
Lifespan: 20 to 30 years in the wild.^[1]
Diet: Microscopic blue-green algae and diatoms, plus small invertebrates.^[1]
Habitat: Salty and alkaline lakes, estuaries, lagoons and mudflats.^[1]
Where it lives: Southern and eastern Africa, plus parts of central and west Africa and western India.^[1]
Group life: Flocks from a few to tens of thousands.^[1]
Babies: One egg.^[1]
Conservation status: Near Threatened (IUCN Red List, assessed 2018).^[2]

Fun facts

Lesser flamingos are the smallest flamingos.^[1]
They eat with their heads upside down.^[1]
Their pink color comes from the algae they eat.^[1]

Vocabulary

filter feeder: An animal that strains tiny bits of food out of water.
carotenoid: A natural pigment that makes things orange, red or pink.
alkaline: Having a high pH, the opposite of acidic.
colony: A large group of animals of one kind that live or nest together.
near threatened: A conservation label meaning a species may soon be at risk of dying out if things don't improve.

See it in person

Oakland ZooOakland, California · Flamingo PlazaSee 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] Oakland Zoo. “Lesser Flamingo.” https://www.oaklandzoo.org/animals/lesser-flamingo/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Phoeniconaias minor (Lesser Flamingo).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22697369/129912906 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

More Wading Birds

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