Flamingo, Chilean

Scientific name: Phoenicopterus chilensis

Origin: South America

Height: 1-1.3m

Diet: Omnivore

IUCN status: Near Threatened

Threats: Hunting, intensive egg-harvesting, mining

Zoos I have seen them: Dublin, Belfast, Fota, Edinburgh, Chester, Welsh Mountain Zoo, Natura Artis Magistra

Interesting fact: What looks like the flamingo’s knees are actually its ankles! The real knees are hidden under the wings. These birds are most closely related to a group of duck-like water birds called grebes.