Flamingos Produce Red 'Milk' to Feed Their Young

Both male and female flamingos produce a nutritious substance called 'crop milk' to feed their chicks. This 'milk' is not true mammalian milk but is a secretion from the lining of their upper digestive tract. It's bright red due to the presence of canthaxanthin, a carotenoid pigment derived from their diet of shrimp and algae. This crop milk is very rich in fats and proteins, providing all the necessary nutrients for the growing chicks until they can forage for themselves.