BLUE FLAMINGO PLANT SKIN

If a bird is not able to feed on as much prey, or if it is unhealthy, the coloration of its feathers will suffer. The quantity and quality of prey they consume determine the intensity of their aspect. Like these American Flamingos, captive flamingos are fed a special diet to keep their plumage nice and bright.

BLUE FLAMINGO PLANT SKIN

Notice that pink is present even in the beak between the white skin around the base and eyes and ending at the black tip. Here is the original image before being Photoshopped. The flamingo’s prey is rich in beta carotenoids, and this causes the pink coloration in their beaks, skin, and feathers. This chemical is responsible for yellow, orange, red, and pink colors in nature. As the prey feeds on the algae, they accumulate organic molecules from the vegetation in their bodies, specifically carotenoids. These birds are filter feeders, eating small crustaceans, mollusks, and insect larvae. I have that covered in detail in another article, but here is a summary of how they achieve this. We won’t go massively into detail on how flamingos get their color. The coloration of the plumage also called its aspect, is created through a chemical process. But they are by far most known for their glorious pink plumage. We all know flamingos to be tall, slender birds with odd-shaped beaks and a peculiar honking call. In this article, I will explain how it is physically impossible for a flamingo to be blue. This is simply a Photoshopped image, changing the pink colors to blue. Maybe this is why it has gained so much attention. It’s odd to see such an iconic pink bird anything other than its standard appearance. However, I’ll prove how this is naturally impossible for these birds to be blue. How can a pink American Flamingo suddenly become brilliant blue? The simple answer is by using Adobe Photoshop.

Blue flamingo plant