Flamingos Get Their Color from Compounds Called Carotenoids

Flamingos get their color from compounds called carotenoids, which the birds absorb from their diets of algae and small crustaceans.

Flamingo feathers already contain some carotenoids. But, based on samples collected from captive flamingos, Amat and colleagues found that the oil is especially rich in the compounds.

Both male and female birds increased their oil-daubing behavior during the mating season, the team noted. In general, the deeper the pink, the more attractive the bird—so the flamingos were likely applying the oil like makeup to make themselves more desirable, he said.

"Other birds, like the bearded vulture, are known to take mud baths that leave their feathers tinged with color. We now need to go and look at these species to see if they are applying cosmetics just like the flamingos do."