San Diego Zoo flamingos

San Diego Zoo flamingos are brilliantly colored in shades of hot pink, salmon and peach. They maintain their brilliance thanks to the foods they are supplied.  Their pink or reddish color comes from the rich sources of carotenoid pigments like from carrots. Their primary sources of these carotenoid pigments are algae and small crustaceans. There are flamingos at both the San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park (the sister zoo owned and operated by the same not-for-profit organization). At the Wild Animal Park on that bus tour I recall the guide saying that many zoos cut corners and don’t feed their flamingos the carotenoid diets which are more expensive, thus their flamingos may not seem as bright and rich in color as you’ll see at these two zoos.

When I visited San Diego and the zoo for the very first time, I was amazed by the flamingo display and when I returned to Kansas to finish up my college degree, I sat in class remembering those beautiful birds, Continue Reading