Unlike most of the islands’ fauna, the Galapagos flamingos are shy and love their privacy. Did you know that color of a Flamingo’s plumage depends on its diet?

It’s true! Galapagos flamingos get their vibrant pink hue by consuming the large quantities of pink shrimp larva that are abundant around the islands. The flamingos have been known to feed for up to 12 hours a day. They are not found on every island in the Galapagos, and certainly not in as abundant numbers as some of the other species here, but they are some of the most brilliantly colored flamingos on the planet. They are most likely to be found in the natural salt lagoons that are prevalent on some of the islands in the archipelago.

Galapagos flamingos often stand on one leg, which is to reduce body heat or cardiac effort. They appear to have good hearing, but no sense of smell. They live and nest in colonies and interact socially with each other, although they are shy around humans, which is one of the reasons why they are not seen as often as some of the other wildlife in the Galapagos. Flamingos are also monogamous. The larger colonies in the Galapagos can be found in Floreana Island, Isabela Island, Santiago, Rabida Island and Santa Cruz.

More Wildlife in the Galapagos

Land Iguana

Giant Tortoise

Darwin’s Finches