Flamingos get pink color from diet, study finds

Flamingos are not born pink; their color comes from dietary carotenoids in algae and brine shrimp.

Biochemist Dennis L. Fox led studies in the 1940s–1960s that identified how flamingos convert carotenoids into feather pigments.

Flamingos absorb carotenoids from food and transform them into compounds that accumulate in feathers, skin, and bills.

Young flamingos hatch with muted colors and gradually develop pink as they mature, with shades varying by species and diet.

The coloration is vital for survival and reproductive success, and captive flamingos may pale without proper dietary carotenoids.