American flamingo chicks at the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico

© Claudio Contreras/Minden Pictures

American flamingo chicks at the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico

Are these chicks cousins? Perhaps. Caribbean (aka American) flamingos, like all flamingo species, lay just one egg per year, so chicks of the same size are more likely cousins than siblings. These chicks and their hovering parents are in Mexico’s Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve in the Yucatán Peninsula, a critical nesting colony for Caribbean flamingos. They’re highly social birds that live in colonies of thousands, so they have plenty of opportunities to celebrate Cousins Day today. Here’s to you, cuz!