Image © Jim Gain
Nomenclature
Scientific Name: Phoenicopterus ruber
Name in Spanish (Mexico): Flamenco Americano
Name in Mayan (if known): Mekoh
ABA 4-Letter Bird Code: AMFL
Family: Phoenicopteridae - Flamingos
Order: Phoenicopteriformes - Flamingos
About this Species
The American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) is a large and iconic bird that inhabits wetlands and shallow lagoons throughout the Caribbean, Central and South America. In the Yucatan Peninsula, the American Flamingo can be found in large numbers, especially in the coastal areas of Celestun and Rio Lagartos Biosphere Reserves.
The natural history of the American Flamingo is fascinating. These birds are known for their striking pink coloration, which is due to pigments obtained from their diet of shrimp and other crustaceans. American Flamingos are also known for their distinctive feeding behavior, which involves standing on one leg and sweeping their long, curved bills back and forth through the water to filter out food.
American Flamingos in the Yucatan Peninsula are colonial breeders, meaning they nest in large groups. They build mud mounds and lay a single egg each year, which both parents take turns incubating. After hatching, the chicks are fed a special "milk" produced in the parent's digestive system. The Yucatan Peninsula is an important breeding site for American Flamingos, and efforts to protect their nesting grounds have been successful in helping to maintain their populations.
*Occurrence and Distribution in the Yucatan Peninsula
RESIDENCY STATUS: Yearround Resident
FREQUENCY STATUS: Fairly Common
DISTRIBUTION TRENDS: Concentrated along the north coast of the states of Campeche, Yucatan. and Quintana Roo in Mexico.
*This information was gathered from eBird (www.ebird.org)