Flamingos Aren’t Born Pink! 🌟

[Mob]

Flamingos aren’t actually born pink—they start off grey! Their stunning pink color comes from their diet, which is rich in brine shrimp and blue-green algae that contain a natural pink dye called canthaxanthin. In zoos, flamingos used to lose their vibrant color because their diet didn't include these pigments, but zookeepers now make sure to add the right foods to keep their feathers looking fabulous!

 

[rapmoon]

Hello! I think it’s fascinating how flamingos get their color from their diet! The pink hue comes from the carotenoids in their food though.

 

[Tomoyo Chan]

That I did not know, I thought flamingos have been pink since birth. If their feathers' color comes from what they eat, does that mean our skin would become pink, too, if we could eat brine shrimp and blue-green algae? Haha.

 

[Mob]

Hello! I think it’s fascinating how flamingos get their color from their diet! The pink hue comes from the carotenoids in their food though.

Hey there! You're spot-on—the pink comes from carotenoids, not just any dye! It’s amazing how nature turns a diet into such a vibrant splash of color, right?

 

[Mob]

That I did not know, I thought flamingos have been pink since birth. If their feathers' color comes from what they eat, does that mean our skin would become pink, too, if we could eat brine shrimp and blue-green algae? Haha.

Haha, that’s a fun thought! While our skin might not turn pink from brine shrimp and algae, it's cool to imagine if we had a flamingo glow-up too!