Free Teacher Resources
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

Sources

  1. [1] Zoo Atlanta. “Chilean Flamingo.” https://zooatlanta.org/animal/chilean-flamingo/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [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

A pink American flamingo standing in dark blue water.American FlamingoPhoenicopterus ruberThe brightest-colored flamingo, also called the Caribbean flamingo, that filter-feeds with its bill upside down.A blue-gray blue crane with long trailing wing feathers walking on rocky ground.Blue CraneAnthropoides paradiseusThe national bird of South Africa, a blue-gray crane of grasslands famous for courtship dances that can last for hours.A white cattle egret with buff-orange breeding feathers on its head perched on a branch.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.A grey crowned crane with a golden crown of feathers walking in grass.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.A brown hamerkop with a hammer-shaped head perched on a dead tree stump.HamerkopScopus umbrettaA brown African wading bird with a hammer-shaped head that builds the biggest nest of any bird in Africa.A marabou stork with a bald pinkish head, a hanging throat pouch and dark wings standing on grass.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.A bright red scarlet ibis with a long curved bill standing on a log.Scarlet IbisEudocimus ruberA bright red wading bird of northern South America that feeds mostly on crayfish and small crabs.A tall wattled crane with a white neck and gray wings standing on grass.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.A white stork with black wing feathers and a red bill walking in grass.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.