DesignScape - 2'x4' Flamingo

The Greater Flamingo’s diet affects its pink color by providing carotenoid pigments, such as canthaxanthin, that are deposited in the feathers, skin, and bill of the bird. These pigments are found in the algae, shrimp, and other crustaceans that the flamingo eats. The more carotenoids the flamingo consumes, the more intense its pink color becomes. If the flamingo does not eat enough carotenoids, its feathers will turn pale or white.

Carotenoids are also responsible for the colors of other animals, such as salmon, lobster, carrot, and flamingo’s close relative, the roseate spoonbill. Carotenoids are antioxidants that protect the cells from damage caused by free radicals. They also play a role in vision, immunity, and reproduction.

Isn’t it amazing how nature creates such beautiful colors from simple molecules?