Hobbies And Interests
Habitat
As its name suggests, most populations of Andean flamingo inhabit the South American Andes mountain range in the countries of Chile, Bolivia, Peru and Argentina. A few birds have been sighted in Brazil. They are one of the few species to thrive at such high elevation and in such an extreme habitat. Here the mountain lakes have a high salt concentration and/or high pH, conditions that most fish and other water birds cannot survive in.
The Flamingo's Beak
The beak of a flamingo is recognized as being "one of the most distinctive and specialized avian bills" according to Frank B. Gill, ornithologist and author of "Ornithology." The structure of the flamingo's beak has evolved to allow the flamingo to filter minute plants and animals found in water while hanging its head upside down. The internal structure of the Andean flamingo's beak is one feature that separates it from other flamingo species. The Andean beak as compared to other flamingos is thicker with stiffer filter apparatuses inside.
Physical Description
Birdwatchers and zoo visitors can easily identify an Andean flamingo by looking at the leg color. Only the Andeans have yellow legs. Its neck is often a deeper pink than its back and undersides. Its black wings stand out when at at rest against the body and towards the tail end of the bird. These birds reach a height of 40 to 43 inches and average about 6 lbs. This makes the Andean a medium-sized flamingo, but the largest of the South American flamingos. As with all flamingos, males are typically slightly larger than females.
Population
Listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the numbers of individual wild Andean flamingos has declined. However, they are not considered in immediate danger of becoming extinct. The IUCN reports that the Andean flamingo population may have decreased by upwards of 60,000 individual birds from the mid 1980s to 1997. Hunting for food and feathers, low water levels due to weather changes and human activity, and mining in the region continue to threaten current populations of Andean flamingos.