Flamingos are tropical birds, although large colonies have been observed high in the Andes.
The American, or greater, flamingo, Phoenicopterus ruber, is now rarely seen in Florida, nesting chiefly in the West Indies. The flamingo scoops its large bill backward through shallow water in marshes and lagoons. When closed, the serrated edges of the bill strain from the muddy water the aquatic plants, shellfish, and frogs on which the bird feeds. The mates take turns incubating the one or two eggs, sitting astride the nest with their legs folded flat on either side. Flamingos are classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Aves, order Ciconiiformes, family Phoenicopteridae.