Flamingos Are Pink Because of Their Diet

Baby flamingos are born with gray feathers and gradually turn pink as they mature. The pink color comes from carotenoids, natural pigments found in the shrimp, algae, and other organisms they eat. These pigments are broken down in the liver and deposited in the feathers, skin, and beaks. The intensity of a flamingo's pink color depends on how much carotenoid-rich food they consume. In captivity, flamingos must be fed foods with carotenoids or supplements to maintain their pink color, otherwise they would fade to white or gray.