Rare Black Flamingo
- bioworld090
- Jun 25, 2022
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 25, 2022
Image Credit: REUTERS
Flamingoes are wading birds (waterbirds, especially ones with long legs, that habitually wade) with slender legs, long necks, thick and curved beaks and small tails. Along with these characteristics, they are mostly known for their beautiful pinkish body. While flamingoes are expected to have a red, orange or pink body colour, there’s one flamingo that is not.
There have been only two sightings of black flamingos to date. The first sighting was in Israel in 2013 and the second was at a lake in Akrotiri, Cyprus on April 9, 2013. Some scientists think that both the sightings were of the same flamingo based on the fact that flamingos are known to travel great distances and the way both flamingos interacted with other flamingos was similar.
Why is this flamingo black instead of the normal pink colour?
The reason for the black colour is a genetic disorder called melanism.
Melanism is the increase of melanin(a black pigment) which causes the darkening of body tissues.
This flamingo has a high amount of melanin which caused its plumage to turn black.
Life with melanism
The black colour caused by melanism is often an adaptation for some animals and is called adaptive melanism. Adaptive melanism in birds makes them less susceptible to predation as they are better at blending in their environment.
Since adult flamingos do not have many natural predators, the melanism in this flamingo is not adaptive. This flamingo is one in a million but it comes with a price. According to National Geographic, too much pigment in the feathers can make them brittle and prone to breakage. The black colour can pose a major difficulty in attracting mates as there is evidence that flamingos use pigments from their glands to enhance their rosy colouration.
Here's a video of the black flamingo.
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