Pink flamingo wading in volcanic lake, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

Wading in wonderland

The Spanish or Portuguese word 'flamengo' translates roughly to flame-colored, referring to this familiar bird's hot pink feathers. Flamingos are actually born white or gray, but eventually take on a pink or red color from the beta-carotene in the algae, larvae, and crustaceans they eat. The American flamingo is one of six flamingo species found around the world, and is the only native one here in the highly biodiverse Galápagos Islands. Floreana Island, seen in our image's background, is a designated Important Bird Area where Galápagos penguins, lava gulls, and even endangered Galápagos petrels may be observed.