Flamingos are very good dancers. They twist and preen, they scratch their heads, they march in unison. They poke a wing in one direction and a leg in another. They bend forward, sticking their tails up; they vigorously flap their wings in a flashy red and black display.

The marching ritual can be described as a group of flamingos walking in synchronized directions. Flamingos are monogamous with their mate and they stay together while laying one egg per year. Males and females work together to search for the nesting ground.

Flamingos also have specific movements for courtship and breeding. When they are ready to mate, they march and turn their heads. They also call out to one another and preen themselves to get ready for breeding. Some observers say the flamingos’ movements during courtship and breeding almost look like dancing.

Greater flamingos are likely to be the only tall, pink bird in any given locale. They also have long, lean, curved necks and black-tipped bills with a distinctive downward bend. They then bury their bills, or even their entire heads, and suck up both mud and water to access the tasty morsels within.

They are not meant to be pets, and it is not legal to own them without an appropriate license. Having this in mind, with proper care and the right living conditions, flamingos are able to live well in captivity. The lifespan of flamingos in captivity is almost double that of living in the wild.

Flamingos are no more intelligent than most other birds – or, for that matter, most other large herding or flocking grazers such as deer or geese.

They are also popular for flying in formations, and they develop their wings to fly at 11 weeks after hatching. After 2-3 months, flamingos start to fly for the very first time. Although they are not trained to teach their chicks to fly, they make flying attempts until they begin to fly.