American Flamingo (Phoeniconais ruber ruber)
Flamingos prefer alkaline (the opposite of acid) waters. The American flamingo is native to Central and South America. These birds live in warm, lush coastal areas and on cols mountain lakes high in the Andes Mountains (in Chile). The flamingo eats insects, crustaceans (shrimp-like animals), and tiny plants like diatoms and algae. The flamingo eats by putting its head upside-down into the water looking backwards. It takes in water that is rich in tiny organisms and filters nutrients from the water with a comb-like organ on its tongue.