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The American Flamingo is Fabulous in Pink
Take our quiz and test your knowledge of the American flamingo and other flamingos and learn how you can take action to protect this species.
American flamingo. Credit: Sherry Portsmouth
The National Wildlife Federation is proud to continue its partnership with LG Electronics (LG) on their ongoing campaign to highlight vulnerable and endangered species. This spring, LG’s Time Square display spotlights the American flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber).
The American flamingo is one of the largest species of flamingo, it can be up to 5 feet tall due to its long neck and legs. Their beautiful, coral pink feathers are a result of their diet, which includes small shrimp, mollusks, and other invertebrates along with algae and plant material which the flamingos filter from the water with comblike structures in their beak. However, flamingos can also be red or orange in color!
The American flamingo is one of six species around the world. It can be found in Florida, along most areas of the coast, however, a majority of flamingo sightings occur in the Everglades, Biscayne Bay and the Florida Keys. The American flamingo can also be found in Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean.
The American flamingo is listed as “least concern” on the IUCN Red list, with its population healthy and increasing, however its wetland habitat including salt lagoons and alkaline lakes, continues to face threats from development and pollution. American flamingos were nearly wiped out in Florida in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Today they are still rare and slowly reappearing, and some scientists have suggested they should be considered for protection because their return is so recent and their populations are very fragile.
American flamingos in the U.S. are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). Protection under the MBTA means it is illegal to kill, capture, or harm them; possess them, their feathers, nests, or eggs; or sell or trade them without a federal permit.
Experience the flamingo in marvelous 3D anamorphic display on LG’s Times Square billboard in New York City. And read the press release to learn how NWF and LG Electronics celebrated Earth Day 2026, with a focus on recovering wildlife and reconnecting with nature!
Kids’ Corner
- Read: Pink in the Wild
- Read: A Flamingo named Bob
- Get Crafty: Make thumbprint flamingos
- Play a Game: Kahoot: Flamingo Fun
- Watch: Flamingo Dance
Get Outside for a Green Hour®
Written by Kristy Jones
