![]() ![]() This study also reaffirmed that all flamingos belong to a single family ( Phoenicopteridae), and there is more. They have the upper jaw as wide as the width of the lower jaw.Īll flamingos belong to the family Phoenicopteridae and occupy a highly specialized ecological niche.Ī study that used mitochondrial markers (mtDNA) (Torres 2014) confirms that all modern flamingos split from a single precursor species of flamingos. They have an upper jaw much narrower than the maxilla or lower jaw, as shown in the photo.īroad-keel flamingos belong to the genus Phoenicopterus. The narrow-keel flamingos belong to the genus Phoeniconaias and Phoenicoparrus. Based on their bill shape and feeding adaptations, flamingos can be separated into two groups: flamingos with a narrow upper mandible (narrow-keel), and flamingos with a broad upper mandible (broad keel). Regarding their plumage, flamingos have an overall similar color pattern. Are all species of Flamingos very similar? The fossil found in Asia represents the oldest known record of a lineage of flamingos suggesting that the ancestors of modern flamingos and grebes may have appeared for the first time in Asia before spreading through the rest of the northern hemisphere and then moving to the southern hemisphere much later.īill shape in a deep-keel flamingo (left) and in a shallow-keel flamingo (right). The “square bone” is found only in flamingos and grebes. The shape of this bone has important implications. 2006).Ī recent publication by Hood and collaborators 2019, identifies the “square bone” (the bone that connects the jaw with the skull) in a fossil about 55 million years old found in Asia. Morphological traits shared by flamingos and grebes corroborate the findings of the genetic study (Chubb, 2004 Ericson et al. These findings also imply that the flamingos and grebes are not closely related to other birds that use aquatic habitats (Jarvis et al. This classification lasted for a long time until genetic studies with more advanced techniques unexpectedly found that the closest relatives to the flamingos are the grebes.Īs if this finding was enough of a surprise, the study suggested that the flamingos and grebes are more closely related to pigeons and doves. Parasites are frequently used as indicators of taxonomic affinity. 2006) suggest that flamingos are also distant relatives of ducks and geese based on the fact that they share the same parasites (lice) found exclusively in these groups of birds. The first genetic studies on the taxonomy of flamingos (Sibley et al., 1969, Salzman, 1993) suggest a genetic affinity with storks and herons as well as with ibices and spoonbills. The name “Jetete” is used for immature individuals, apparently, of all species, that lack the typical pink coloration (Johnson et al. These include “Guaichete” for the Chilean Flamingo, “Tococo” for the Andean Flamingo, and “Chururu” for James’ Flamingo. Names for each species of flamingo are used by local people in the high Andes of the Atacama region in Chile and Bolivia. The word comes from the Quechua language.Īnother name is “parina” from the Aymara language with multiple variants, including “pariguana” in Bolivia and Peru, “paruela” and “pariona” in the central-southern Andean region of Peru (Cerrón-Palomino, 2004). Parihuana is the common name for flamingos in the Andes of South America. Flame means fire, which applied to a bird of pink and magenta colors would mean “bird of flame or fire color”.Īlternatively, it could have come from the Provencal language (southern France), which would mean “flame”, which might have been influenced by the Germanic language through suffixes, resulting in “fleming” or “flamengo” (Harper, 2019). The name “flamingo” would come from the direct translation of Portuguese or Spanish. Flamingos are grouped into three genera that are Phoenicopterus, Phoenicoparrus, and Phoeniconaias. The meaning of scientific name of flamingos refers to the color red or pink. Are all species of Flamingos very similar?.Parihuana: in the Andes of South America.They inhabit shallow bodies of water, usually saline, brackish, or alkaline, in areas ranging from sea level to 5,000 m. They feed on very small invertebrates and algae suspended in water and mud. The six species of flamingos are found in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe. The biggest threats are the loss of habitat due to pollution, egg collection, and also climate change. Likewise, flamingos and grebes are more closely related to pigeons and doves than to other water birds of similar appearance. Close relativesįlamingos’ closest relatives are the grebes. Classificationįlamingos belong to the Phoenicopteridae family. James’ flamingos in Salar Uyuni, Bolivia.
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