Why are flamingos pink?
Ooh, buddy, flamingos turn pink from the food they eat!
Pip’s answer
- Ooh, buddy, flamingos turn pink from the food they eat!
- They eat tiny shrimp and little water plants with pink and orange color inside.
- That color slowly goes into their feathers.
- Wow-ee, baby flamingos are fluffy and gray before they turn pink!
Try it together
Can you stand on one leg like a flamingo?
For grown-ups
Flamingos are born grey-white. Their pink color comes from pigments called carotenoids in the algae and tiny shrimp they eat. Their bodies process these pigments into the pink and orange in their feathers. Flamingos that eat less of this food become paler.
Ask your child: What color would you be if your food changed your color?
More questions kids ask
- 🦩Why do flamingos stand on one leg?
- 🥕Why are carrots orange?
- 🦚Why do peacocks have fancy tails?
- 🐱Why do cats purr?
- 🐝Why do bees visit flowers?
- 🐦How do birds fly?
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