The depth of the water is especially important not only for feeding but for nesting. Lakes may be far inland or near the sea. Feather color varies with species, ranging from pale pink to crimson or vermilion. The Chilean flamingo is pale pink. A flamingo's pink or reddish feather color comes from its diet, which is high in alpha and beta-carotene.
People eat beta-carotene when they eat carrots.
The typical flamingo diet consists of diatoms, seeds, blue-green alage, crustaceans, and mollusks they filter out of the water. Using their long legs and partially webbed feet, flamingos will stamp on the muddy bottom of lagoons to mix the food particles with the water. Flamingos drink fresh water. Flamingos use their large beaks to filter small food items from the water. A flamingo lowers its head into the water, upside-down.