Flamingo - Flamingo (English spelling)

A general term for birds belonging to the order Flamingiformes and family Phoenicopteridae. This family, Phoenicopteridae, is found mainly in tropical regions around the world, and there are three genera, four species, and six subspecies. Their necks are abnormally long and thin compared to their bodies, and their legs are long and webbed. Their long legs are similar to those of a crane, and they are also called red cranes because of their red bodies. Their flight feathers are black. Their beaks are uniquely curved in an L-shape, and their structure is the opposite of that of ordinary birds, with the lower beak fixed and the upper beak moving like a lid. When feeding, they lower their heads and dip their beaks in the water or mud with the tip pointing backwards. Both sides of their beaks and tongues are comb-shaped, and they filter the muddy water in their mouths by moving their upper beaks and tongues, and eat algae and plankton. When flying, they stretch their long necks and legs back and forth, and fly in a straight line by flapping their short wings in short bursts. They live in groups on the shores of muddy lakes and tidal flats, and stay in groups even during the breeding season. They build their nests in the shape of a mortar by piling up mud, and lay a single egg here.

The largest, the greater flamingo, Phoenicopterus ruber roseus , is found in southern France, central Asia, and Africa, with a wingspan of about 1.9 meters. Its body is white with red wings. Camargue in southern France is famous as the northernmost breeding site for the greater flamingo. The scarlet flamingo , P. r. ruber , is found in the West Indies and the Galapagos Islands, and is considered to be a different subspecies of the greater flamingo, but its body is much darker red. The Chilean flamingo , P. r. chilensis , is found in the temperate zone of South America, and is also of the same species as the greater flamingo, but its body is slightly smaller and pale pink. Many of these species were imported to Japan, and are often kept in parks and zoos. Escaped flamingos are sometimes recorded on coasts and in lakes and marshes. The lesser flamingo , Phoeniconaias minor , is found in Africa, the Persian Gulf, and northwestern India, and is small and pale pink. In Africa, it lives in large flocks of several million birds. The Andean flamingo (Phoenicoparrus andinus) is found in the Andes Mountains, has yellow feet, and has no hind toes. The James's flamingo (Phoenicoparrus jamesi) is a small species found in Bolivia and Chile.

[Shinji Takano]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

鳥綱フラミンゴ目フラミンゴ科に属する鳥の総称。この科Phoenicopteridaeの仲間は、世界の熱帯を中心に分布し、3属4種6亜種がある。頸(くび)が体に比べて異常に長くて細く、足も長く足指には水かきがある。足の長い点がツルに似ており、体に紅色を帯びているところからベニヅルともよばれる。風切(かざきり)は黒い。嘴(くちばし)はくの字に曲がった独特の形をし、構造が一般の鳥と逆で、下嘴が固定されて上嘴が蓋(ふた)のようにかぶさって動く。餌(えさ)をとるときには頭を垂れて、先端が後方に向くようなかっこうで嘴を水中や泥の中に浸す。嘴や舌の両側は櫛(くし)状になっており、上嘴と舌を動かして口の中の泥水を濾過(ろか)し、藻類やプランクトンを食べる。飛ぶときは長い頸と足を前後に伸ばし、短めの翼を小刻みに羽ばたいて直線的に飛ぶ。泥性の湖岸や干潟に群れをつくってすみ、繁殖期にも集団でいる。巣は泥を積み上げて臼(うす)状につくり、ここに1個の卵を産む。

　いちばん大形のオオフラミンゴPhoenicopterus ruber roseusは、南フランス、中央アジア、アフリカに分布し、翼長約1.9メートル。体は白くて翼は紅色。南フランスのカマーグは、オオフラミンゴの繁殖地の北限として有名である。ベニフラミンゴP. r. ruberは西インド諸島とガラパゴス諸島に分布し、オオフラミンゴと同種の別亜種とされるが、体の紅色はずっと濃い。チリフラミンゴP. r. chilensisは南アメリカの温帯に分布し、これもオオフラミンゴと同種であるが、体がやや小さく淡紅色。この種は日本でも多く輸入され、公園や動物園でよく飼われている。また逃げ出したものが、海岸や湖沼でときどき記録される。コフラミンゴPhoeniconaias minorはアフリカ、ペルシア湾、インド北西部に分布し、小形で体は淡紅色。アフリカでは数百万羽という大群で生活している。アンデスフラミンゴPhoenicoparrus andinusはアンデス山脈に分布し、足は黄色で後指がない。ジェームスフラミンゴPhoenicoparrus jamesiはボリビア、チリに分布する小形種である。

［高野伸二］

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