Phoenicoparrus jamesi
The James's Flamingo, also known as the Puna Flamingo, is a slender, high-altitude specialist renowned for its delicate pale pink plumage, which intensifies to carmine on the lower neck and upperparts, and striking brick-red legs. Standing about 90-92 cm (35-36 in) tall and weighing 1.5-2.5 kg, its most distinctive field mark is its unique, deeply curved, bright yellow bill with a black tip, specifically adapted for specialized filter feeding. Taxonomically, it belongs to the family Phoenicop...
Found exclusively in high-altitude (2,500-4,500m) brackish or alkaline salt lakes and lagoons (salars) of the Andean Altiplano, often sharing these harsh environments with other flamingo species.
Primarily consumes diatoms, microscopic algae, cyanobacteria, and some zooplankton, meticulously siphoned from the water using its specialized filter-feeding bill.
James's Flamingos are highly social and diurnal, spending their days foraging and often roosting in large, dense colonies on shallow water or exposed islands for safety. Their unique bill is deployed in a specialized filter-feeding technique, where they sieve diatoms and microscopic algae from th...
The James's Flamingo is endemic to the high Andean Altiplano, primarily within the Puna ecosystem of South America. Its breeding range encompasses specific high-altitude salt lakes and lagoons across Bolivia, northern Chile, northern Argentina, and southern Peru. Key breeding strongholds include ...
Least Concern
- James's Flamingo was presumed extinct for decades before its dramatic rediscovery in 1957 at Laguna Colorada in Bolivia. - Its bright yellow bill with a black tip is a unique adaptation for filter-feeding on minute diatoms, making it the most specialized filter feeder among all flamingo species...