Puna (James’s) Flamingo

Phoenicopterus jamesi

The Puna Flamingo lives in high altitudes of Andean plateaus of Peru, Chile, Bolivia and Argentina. The lakes from where this flamingo usually feeds from are mostly freshwater. However, if salt water is encountered, the flamingos have salt glands in their nostrils where excess salt is secreted.

One can distinguish Puna flamingos from other species by their lighter feathers and the bright yellow on the bill.

Flamingos are able to fly, and can reach flying speeds of up to 60 km/h. However, since flamingos live in limited regions, they usually do not use this high speed.

The above picture was taken at the Zoo of Berlin, Germany, in August 2010.

Family Phoenicopteridae
Order Ciconiiformes
Class Aves
Subphylum Vertebrata
Phylum Chordata
Kingdom Animalia
Life on Earth
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